He is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter born in Minneapolis and is the brother of Tom Leadon who was in the Tom Petty band, Mudcrutch. He started his musical education when in a boy’s choir and in the 1960s played with country rock and bluegrass bands after moving to California.
He became part of the backing band for the duo Dillard & Clark as well as being a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, appearing on the albums Burrito Deluxe and The Flying Burrito Brothers, co-songwriting on several of their tracks.
He was hired to be in the back up band of Linda Ronstadt with Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Randy Meisner and together they formed the band the Eagles. They saw immediate success and went on to become one of the most successful groups in the US in the 1970s. A co-writer of many of their songs his repertoire includes “Witchy Woman”, “Hollywood Waltz” and “Journey of the Sorcerer” which was used as the theme for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
He left the band in 1975 while having a relationship with Ronald Reagan’s daughter, Patti Davis, with whom he wrote the band’s song “I Wish You Peace”. The relationship caused bad feeling in the group and it is said he left by “pouring a beer over Glenn Frey’s head”.
Since leaving the Eagles he has played with many artists and groups as well as starting the unsuccessful Pioneer Music Group in Japan which closed around the year 2000 and from 1987 to 1988 was a member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Eagles Recordings
One of These Nights (Don Henley/Glenn Frey)
Visions (Don Felder/Don Henley)
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