John David Souther (; November 2, 1945 – September 17, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was "a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a major influence on a generation of songwriters". Souther wrote and co-wrote songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and some of the Eagles' biggest hits, including "Best of My Love", "Victim of Love", "Heartache Tonight" and "New Kid in Town". "How Long", which appeared on the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, came from Souther's first solo album. He recorded two hit songs in his solo career: "You're Only Lonely" (1979) and "Her Town Too" (1981), a duet with James Taylor. He had a brief acting career and appeared on TV and in movies. He played with the Eagles on their 2008 farewell tour.
Early life and career
Souther was born on November 2, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of John Souther and Loty (), and was raised in Amarillo, Texas. His father sang in a jazz band and later ran a store selling records and musical instruments.
Acting career
In 1989, Souther played the character of John Dunaway in the third season of the television drama Thirtysomething. In 1990 he played Ted in the film Postcards from the Edge. He appeared in the audiobook of Jimmy Buffett's A Salty Piece of Land. Souther played Jesse James in the television movie Purgatory in 1999 and Jeffrey Pommeroy in My Girl 2. In 2012, he appeared in the mystery thriller Deadline. He had a recurring role in the first season of the country music drama series Nashville, which premiered in October 2012. He reprised his role in a 2017 episode of the fifth season.
Personal life and death
Souther married Alexandra Sliwin, a member of the group Honey Ltd., in March 1969; they divorced in 1972. He dated Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks in the 1970s. He briefly dated Judee Sill and was the inspiration for her song "Jesus Was a Cross Maker".
In December 2002, Souther moved from the Hollywood Hills to Nashville, Tennessee. In 2004, he married Sarah Nicholson He was due to begin a tour in less than a week with songwriter Karla Bonoff.
Discography
Albums
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Album
! colspan="3" | Chart positions
! rowspan="2" | Label
|-
! style="font-size: small; width: 3.8em;" | US
! style="font-size: small; width: 3.8em;" | AUS
! style="font-size: small; width: 3.8em;" | CAN
|-
| 1972
| John David Souther
| style="text-align: center;" | 206
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| rowspan="2" | Asylum
|-
| 1976
| Black Rose
| style="text-align: center;" | 85
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
|-
| 1979
| You're Only Lonely
| style="text-align: center;" | 41
| style="text-align: center;" | 65
| style="text-align: center;" | 68
| Columbia
|-
| 1984
| Home by Dawn
| style="text-align: center;" | 203
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| Warner Bros.
|-
| 2008
| If the World Was You
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| Slow Curve
|-
| 2009
| Rain − Live at the Belcourt Theatre
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| Slow Curve
|-
| 2011
| Natural History
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| Entertainment One Music
|-
| 2012
| Midnight in Tokyo
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| Entertainment One Music
|-
| 2015
| Tenderness
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| Sony Masterworks
|-
| 2023
| Live at the Boarding House, July 7, 1976
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| style="text-align: center;" | —
| Floating World Ltd.
|-
| colspan="6" style="font-size: small; text-align: left;" | "—" denotes releases that did not chart
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Single
! colspan="7" | Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" | Album
|- style="font-size: smaller;"
! style="width: 3em;" | US AC
! style="width: 3em;" | US
! style="width: 3em;" | US Country
! style="font-size: small; width: 3.8em;" | AUS
- Trouble in Paradise (1975)
See also
- Country rock