Don Henley
December 30th, 2008Donald Hugh " Don " Henley (born July 22, 1947, in Gilmer, Texas) is an American rock singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful Grammy Award-winning solo career. In 2008, he was ranked the 87th greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
Henley has also played a founding role in several environmental and political causes, most notably the Walden Woods Project. Since 1994, he has divided his musical activities between the Eagles and his solo career.
In the late 1970s, early 1980s, Henley dated Fleetwood Mac musician Stevie Nicks, and had a long term relationship with actress/model and Bond girl Lois Chiles.
In the early 1980s, Henley was engaged to Battlestar Galactica actress Maren Jensen. His first solo album is dedicated to Jensen, who also sings harmony vocals on the song "Johnny Can’t Read". Henley and Jensen separated in 1986.

In 1995, Henley married Sharon Summerall, a former model from Texas who had lived in Paris and studied art history. Summerall suffers from MS. They have 3 children together, two girls and a boy. Their first child, a girl was born in December of 1995, their son was born in February of 1998, and their youngest, another girl, was born in the spring of 2000. Performers at the wedding included Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne, Donna Lewis, Sheryl Crow, Glenn Frey, and Tony Bennett.
Psychobilly musician Mojo Nixon, wrote a song called "Don Henley Must Die". Some years later, Mojo was playing at Austin’s Hole in the Wall when Don Henley, who was also scheduled to play in Austin, came in. Mojo announced he was going to play the song when Henley himself climbed up on stage and began beatboxing to the song, which left Mojo utterly speechless. The two have since become friends.
Henley wrote the song "Everything Is Different Now" from the album Inside Job for Sharon. It has been announced that Sharon is suffering from multiple sclerosis.
Don Henley initially attended college at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He then attended North Texas State University in Denton, Texas during 1968 and 1969. He left to spend time with his father, who was dying from heart and arterial disease.
In 1970, he moved to Los Angeles to record an album with his early band, Shiloh. Shiloh’s album was produced by fellow Texan Kenny Rogers. Shortly thereafter, Henley met Glenn Frey through Amos Records in Los Angeles. They both became members of Linda Ronstadt’s backup band — touring with her was the catalyst for forming the group in the first place. As a result, two months later they became their own act, the Eagles. All four of the original Eagles are featured in the 1970 Ronstadt album Silk Purse. Later, Linda also covered one of the Eagles’ songs "Desperado".











