Donald Hugh Henley is still one of the most popular singers and drummers. Don also writes songs and produces young talent. Considered the founder of the rock band Eagles. The collection of hits of the band with his participation was sold out with a circulation of 38 million records. And the song "Hotel California" is still popular among different ages.
Childhood and youth Donald Hugh Henley
Donald Hugh Henley was born in Gilmer on July 22, 1947. However, most of his childhood and youth were spent in the city of Linden. Here the guy was trained in a regular school, where he also played football. However, it was not possible to make a career in sports due to vision problems (nearsightedness), so the coach dissuaded him from participating in the games.
After that, Donald becomes part of the local orchestra, where he immediately masters several instruments. After graduation, he leaves for Texas, where he enters the State University. He was able to complete only two courses, as the teachers say, most of all the young man was attracted by classes in philology. He was a fan of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau.
By the way, Donald was a fan of Elvis Presley in his youth, after which he switched to the music of The Beatles. Many mistakenly assume that Henley's first instrument was a guitar, but this is far from the case. Most of the time the musician spent at the drum kit, while being a vocalist.
Donald was able to capture the dream of millions by becoming a legend. He grew up in a small town of only 2 people. But Don was able to escape and was not afraid to leave for one of the dangerous cities in the United States.
In an interview, Henley spoke of the imminent death of his father. The financial situation of the family was poor. In order not to ruin his life, he gave preference to music and completely immersed himself in writing future hits.
Personal life
Henley dated Lori Rodkin in 1974 and his song "Wasted Time" was about their breakup. A year later, Donald began dating actress Stevie Nicks. The end of this relationship inspired Nicks to write the song "Sara". Henley also dated actress and model Lois Chiles.
He was even once accused of drug use and complicity in their distribution to a minor. It happened when a 15-16-year-old girl was found in his house under the influence of psychotropic drugs.
Henley became engaged to Maren Jensen in 1980, but after 1986 they stopped living together. After another 9 years, he was engaged to the gorgeous Sharon Summerall, the couple in love has 3 children. The marriage turned out to be stronger than many predicted, now the family lives in Dallas.
Career
After Henley realized that he would not be able to complete his college studies, he moved to the famous Los Angeles. There the guy, like many, tried to make a career. To save money, he began to live with his neighbor Kenny Rogers.
Around this time, Henley began recording songs on his first album. However, everything changed dramatically when he met Glenn Frey as a guy. It was this meeting that became fateful, as Henley, Bernie Leadon and a new friend Glenn founded the Eagles group. Friends at the beginning of the journey understood how high they would have to fly.
Henley in the group chose the path of a vocalist and drummer, he held this position for 9 years (from 1971-1980). During this time, friends managed to release several hits: "Desperado", "Hotel California" and others, including "Best of My Love". However, despite the overwhelming success, the group broke up in 1980. Many say that Glenn Frey became the initiator of the contention.
Despite the loss of the band, Henley did not stop making music and giving new hits to fans. He continued to play drums and sing only solo. The first album was "I Can't Stand Still". A few years later, in 1982, combined records were released with the participation of other stars. Now we can highlight some interesting hits: "New York Minute", "Dirty Laundry", and "Boys of Summer".
The band members reunited in 1994–2016. Henley then took everyone to several rock festivals Classic West and East.
Donald Hugh Henley Awards and Achievements
Rolling Stone magazine ranked Donald as the 87th Greatest Singer. As part of the Eagles, the group has sold a staggering 150 million albums, which have been auctioned worldwide. Now the group is the owner of 6 Grammy awards. It is worth noting that Donald, even as a solo artist, received two Grammy awards and five MTV awards by 2021.
Financial condition of Donald Hugh Henley
Starting his music career by starting a band and then continuing as a solo artist, Henley has managed to earn a net worth of $220 million as of January 2021.
Henley devoted his entire life to music and made every effort to follow it as a career choice. He was not only talented, but also passionate about his work.
