Legendary classic rockers the Eagles are technically not a country band, but they are undisputably a respected force in the country world. Upon regrouping in 2007 and releasing their first full studio album in nearly 30 years, the band landed on a Nashville record label. They won a Grammy award in the country category (best song by a group or duo, for "How Long") and scored two singles on Billboard's country chart. This summer, they hit the road touring with the Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban as opening acts on select dates.
Heck, it might even be forgiven for those young'uns born post-1980 to think the Eagles are a country band. (Well, okay, maybe not. The band's back catalog is sort of an inescapable entity, no matter what decade we are in.) Regardless, the Eagles have always had a rootsy edge which has influenced and blended pleasantly with country music overall.
Given all this, it probably comes as no surprise that founding member Don Henley is planning to release a country album for his next solo project. The Texas native, in an interview with San Francisco-area magazine Diablo, says it will be a collection of originals and covers, and he's currently in the midst of co-producing it with his good friend Stan Lynch (formerly the drummer for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers).
Henley, who terms both himself and Lynch "quasi-rednecks from the South," mentioned to Diablo that he would like to collaborate with country musicians Alison Krauss and Merle Haggard at some point in the future. He has not set a release date for the new project yet.
Henley will be performing September 20 at Wente Vineyards, a San Francisco Bay-area winery and estate which hosts an annual summer concert series from classic artists of all genres. The Eagles will start the Fall leg of their 2010 North American tour starting October 1.
Will you be interested in hearing Henley's country album? I'm personally most curious to see which covers he chooses to put his spin on. Be sure to let me know what you think.
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