Don Felder, the former lead guitarist of the Eagles, turns 76 today (Thursday). The Gainesville, Florida native is best known for co-writing the band's signature song, "Hotel California", and playing the iconic guitar solo on it.
Felder attended high school with another future Eagle, Bernie Leadon, who invited him to join the band in 1974 after he played on two songs from their third album, On the Border: "Good Day in Hell" and "Already Gone". Felder became a permanent member of the Eagles and contributed to their most successful albums, such as One of These Nights, Hotel California and The Long Run. He also co-wrote other songs for the band, such as "Victim of Love", "The Disco Strangler" and "Too Many Hands".
Besides his work with the Eagles, Felder has also played on albums by other artists, such as Stevie Nicks, Andy Gibb, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand. He has also released three solo albums, the most recent being American Rock 'n' Roll in 2019.
Felder's tenure with the Eagles ended in 2001, when he was fired from the band and sued by Glenn Frey and Don Henley for breach of contract. Felder countersued for wrongful termination and claimed that he was mistreated by his former bandmates. The lawsuits were settled out of court in 2007, but Felder has remained estranged from Frey and Henley ever since.
Despite the legal battles and personal conflicts, Felder has expressed pride in his legacy with the Eagles, whose Greatest Hits has overtaken Michael Jackson's Thriller as the best-selling album in U.S. history. He has also performed with other former members of the band, such as Leadon, Randy Meisner and Joe Walsh.
Felder played lead guitar in the Eagles from 1974 through 2001 He attended high school with another future Eagle, Bernie Leadon Don was invited to join the band after he played on "Good Day in Hell" and "Already Gone" Don co-wrote "Hotel California," "Victim of Love," "The Disco Strangler" (from The Long Run) and "Too Many Hands" (from One of These Nights). He was fired from the Eagles and fell out with both Glenn Frey and Don Henley.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]