Songwriter for Eagles and Linda Rondstadt was 78

John David “JD” Souther, a songwriter identified for writing huge hits for ’70s rockers just like the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, has died. In accordance with a public assertion from his representatives, Souther “handed away peacefully in his New Mexico dwelling.” He was 78.

Born on Nov. 2, 1945 in Detroit, Mich., however raised in Amarillo, Tex., Souther began his musical profession with a neighborhood band known as The Cinders, who launched their first document on a small label in 1965. A couple of years later, Souther moved to Los Angeles, the place his profession actually took off.

He met Glenn Frey of the Eagles, with whom he started a longtime inventive collaboration. They fashioned their very own people duo beneath the identify Longbranch Pennywhistle and launched one album, however they discovered extra success with Souther writing a few of the Eagles’ largest hits like “Better of My Love,” “James Dean,” and “New Child in City.” He additionally co-wrote “Heartache Tonight” with Frey, Bob Seger, and Don Henley.

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Souther additionally recorded albums as a solo artist, beginning together with his self-titled debut in 1972. His largest solo hit was “You’re Solely Lonely,” the title monitor from his 1979 album, which reached quantity 7 on the Billboard Sizzling 100.

The Eagles weren’t the one artists Souther wrote for, both. He penned “Run Like a Thief” for Bonnie Raitt and a number of other songs for Linda Ronstadt, together with “Faithless Love” and “White Rhythm and Blues.” He and Ronstadt even dated for a time, and recorded a number of duets together with “Prisoner in Disguise,” “Generally You Can’t Win,” and “Hearts In opposition to the Wind.” He co-wrote James Taylor’s “Her City Too.” When Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Corridor of Fame in 2013, he was described as “a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a significant affect on a technology of songwriters.”

Along with music, Souther was additionally an actor. He appeared in TV exhibits like Nashville, Thirtysomething, and Purgatory, in addition to motion pictures like Postcards from the Edge and Deadline.

Souther was presupposed to kick off a tour with Karla Bonoff on Sept. 24 in Phoenix, Ariz., however these dates have now been canceled.

Souther is survived by two sisters, his former spouse and her daughter, and his beloved canines Layla and Bob.