Under-rated songwriter who was instrumental in the rise of Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles and the evolution of country rock.
When you put your mind to thinking about or discussing those artists that were influential in the emergence of americana as a music genre, one name that might be overlooked is John David ‘JD’ Souther, who died last week at his home in Sandia Park, New Mexico, at the age of 78. And that may be because he was a behind-the-scenes kind of guy – he declined an invitation to join the Eagles, for goodness’ sake, even though he was a major songwriter for them and several others during the early creative years of country rock in Los Angeles. He moved there not long after his high school days in Amarillo, Texas where he grew up (though he was actually born in Detroit). He made friends and shared digs with Glenn Frey in the famed Laurel Canyon area – his neighbours included Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt. The duo formed Longbranch Pennywhistle which did last long as Frey became part of Ronstadt’s backing band and Souther supplied some of the songs (and backing vocals).
The early 70s were a fertile time for country rock artists in the canyon and they had a distinctive ‘feel’ to them. Souther’s songs were the epitome of the sound – nice rhyming verses and catchy choruses, with great vocal backing that were appealing to singalong fans. ‘Best of My Love’ and ‘Heartache Tonight’, big Eagles’ hits were great examples. His own self-titled solo album in 1972 was picked apart by other artists for their future albums – Bonnie Raitt recorded the brilliant song about infidelity ‘Run Like a Thief’ in 1975 – “When it was alright at midnight / and you fell out at three / So I made you warm / and stoked the dying fire / When it all came down this morning / you were lying next to me / Oh, how sweet the wine of desire”
The Eagles scored big hits with several more Souther songs, and then included a very early song ‘How Long‘ on one of their last albums, “Long Road out of Eden”. He wrote several songs that Ronstadt recorded – ‘Faithless Love’ and ‘Prisoner in Disguise‘ were two of the best. The latter appeared on the ill-fated “Trouble in Paradise“, the second album (of two) released by the Souther- Hillman-Furay Band, one of many country rock outfits in the 70s competing in the same market as The Eagles. It should have been a successful band but the overall content was less than inspiring and commercial success was there none. Ronstadt meanwhile was on a roll with Souther, they had a short-lived affair (yet their friendship lasted years) and he produced “Don’t Cry Now”, as well as providing the title track and ‘The Fast One‘ from his aforementioned debut album.
In 1976 Souther released his beautiful sophomore album “Black Rose“, full of great songs, and the highlight of his recording career. Songs written by a true romantic, sung in his rangy ‘tenor twang’, embellished by producer Peter Asher with some glorious instrumental backing (horns and strings), and by a variety of friends who contributed vocally to the beautiful choruses (Ronstadt, Frey, Don Henley, Art Garfunkel, Andrew Gold, David Crosby and Souther– he contributed backing vocals himself to a large number of albums. Souther’s songs were predominantly about love in all its forms, about desire, infidelity, broken relationships, new relationships, loneliness, despair and divorce (he had a hit with his James Taylor co-write ‘Her Town Too’ – “She gets the house and the garden / He gets the boys in the band”.
1979 saw the release of his third album “You’re only Lonely” and the title track provided him with his most successful release – it sounds at times like a tribute to Roy Orbison’s ‘Only the Lonely’. And in 1984 “Home by Dawn” was his fourth release and his last for 24 years. Each album has some great tracks and it is something of a mystery that Souther did not get the credit he deserved with fame and fortune gained by others in the same sphere. Maybe his recording company did him no favours with promotion of his music – he had several over the first few years. His laconic couplet in ‘The Sad Café ‘ (another huge Eagles hit) was perhaps a reflection of his disappointment at lack of success . “I don’t know why fortune smiles on some, and lets the rest go free.” Maybe it was just a humble observation because he never particularly sought the limelight, and as commercial success passed him by, he turned to acting and the film industry generally. His songs appeared in many films, he himself appeared in several films or TV series (including ‘Thirtysomething‘and ‘Nashville’). Perhaps he was just happy in the background – he was famously asked occasionally ‘ ‘Doesn’t it piss you off that the Eagles have these big hits off your songs?’ I would usually start saying, ‘Would you like to see the checks?‘”. He also remarked ‘The closest I got to being really famous was during the ‘You’re Only Lonely’ period, and I really didn’t like it that much, frankly’.
He was married twice, once, briefly, before meeting Linda Ronstadt (and then Stevie Nicks and Judee Sill amongst others) and then again, to Sarah Nicholson, after moving from LA to Nashville in 2002. He had an adopted daughter but the marriage failed after 6 years. In 2008 “If the world was you” was released (a somewhat experimental album, using a small jazz band to frame his songs), and in 2011 “Natural History” was a rather splendid album of new recordings of songs that he wrote, and which were made famous by others. Completely reworked and re-imagined rather than a ‘greatest hits’, the album is basically a guitar and/or piano based album with some wonderful contributions to these iconic songs, by Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, John Hobbs and Charlie McCoy, and an emotive Rod McGaha on trumpet. His voice remained a fine instrument for interpreting his songs and he continued to perform live right up until his death. He also was inducted into The Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.
His last album, released in 2015 was “Tenderness”, a reminder that after all this time he was still possessed of his earlier writing skills. Listening back to this album was a chastening experience. It is not his best album but I had forgotten how good it was – it was left on my shelf unheard for nearly 10 years – criminal.
Souther died on 17 September, without comment from his family as to the cause. He was due to go on the road this week with the equally talented songwriter Karla Bonoff. He was a songwriting giant and contemporary artists would do well to seek out his later material as it contains the passion, emotion, and melody of his earlier works that might see his talent generate a higher profile in the hands of others. Or indeed give them food for thought as to how to write a great song.
Million thanks for this wonderful review of a great artist!!!
So sad to hear. I will always treasure the memory of seeing him perform at Norwich Arts Centre.
Me too – He was supporting the Eagles in 1973 and I caught him at the Royal Festival Hall gig. I think in the early days he regularly used to sing harmony with them on stage, as he did at this concert. I can’t remember whether he joined them on stage at the Elton John Mid-Summer concert in 1975, but I think not.
Wearing a Black Rose.
Thanks indeed Fred. JD’s song-writing and records are up there at the top of the singer-songwriter tree. As you make clear he wasn’t prolific on the recorded output front and then seemed to favour acting for a while but I always assumed he was happy to have the freedom that his royalties afforded him. Quite an enviable position I’d say, just out of the limelight.
You pick out some great songs and I have always especially liked the Black Rose album too but I’d also like to make mention of ‘Kite Woman’, ‘Somebody Must Be Wrong’ (SHF), ‘White Rhythm and Blues’ and ‘Downtown (before the war)’ from Tenderness.