One of The Eagles’ Songwriters Was From Amarillo?

It's pretty well-known that Amarillo has a handful of celebrities who were either born or grew up in the Area. And we've covered that before.

But you may not be aware of this behind-the-scenes songwriter from Amarillo.

I would like to introduce you to John David Souther, musician, songwriter, and Actor.

Originally born in Detroit in 1945, Souther moved to Amarillo Texas at a young age where he grew up. Joining a band named The Cinders, Souther and the band would often travel to Clovis, New Mexico where they would record at the Norman Petty Studios. In 1966, Souther and The Cinders were able to successfully release their first single 'John David and The Cinders' through Warner Bros Records.

Although the band found moderate success, Souther moved to Los Angeles in the late 60s where he would meet Glenn Frey, one of the Eagles' founding members. The two became roommates and collaborated and for a short time, recorded and performed as a duo named Longbranch/Pennywhistle.

Later teaming up with Chris Hillman (one of the original members of The Byrds) and Richie Furay (a founding member of Buffalo Springfield), the trio formed the Souther-Hillman-Furay band. They released two albums but split after a short time.

Going solo for some time, Souther would work on solo projects and collaborate with many other notable names in the music industry. Some of these names would be Bonnie Rait, Don Henly (another founding member of the Eagles), Christopher Cross, and Bob Seger.

Later when the Eagles as a group came together, Souther would write for them. Some of their most successful hits such as "Heartache Tonight" have Souther's writing credits.

In his own solo career, Souther would find success as well. He would release various albums and singles throughout his career, and even earned his spot on the Billboard Top 100, reaching number 7 with his hit "You're Only Lonely"

Continuing his career all the way into the early 2000s, Souther would finally cement his place in rock history earning a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Although Souther himself may not be as recognizable as his contemporaries, his work and his behind-the-scene writing have reached millions. And all from an Amarillo native, good job Souther.