Each Eagle took great satisfaction in having some of the greatest voices California had ever heard. When it came to finding the perfect vocal inflection for each chorus he has ever written, Glenn Frey had to be put through his paces because no one gets into a band with someone like Linda Ronstadt and is expected to just plonk away on their instruments. Even after working both solo and with Ronstadt, he regarded Don Henley as the best singer he had ever heard.
However, part of the reason the Eagles were successful in the first place was due to Henley’s ability to sing in that manner. Although they were officially Frey’s band in the beginning. The number of songs he wrote with Henley throughout the years seems like a musical treasure trove.
Let’s take a look at the songs included in their greatest hits package, for example. Frey does have a few classics to his credit, such as “Lyin’ Eyes” and “Take It Easy.” He even succeeded in getting some of the group’s sleeper hits on the radio, like “Already Gone.” This was largely due to his prominent position at the front of the stage.
Even though Randy Meisner was featured on “Take it to the Limit,” Henley is the author of the rest of their greatest hits. Despite his natural baritone, they used Henley’s voice for everything from “Desperado” to “Witchy Woman” to “Hotel California.” Some of the lesser-known hits like “New Kid in Town” didn’t feature his vocals as prominently. Henley typically made the most of his tenor voice.
Don Henley is the rock and the best singer Frey has ever worked with. Even though it was only natural for the group to switch up the vocals on every record, Frey had no problem referring to Henley as the best of them. He said as much in “Life in the Fast Lane.” Randy is the package’s ideal ribbon.
Henley’s voice ended up becoming so popular with Frey that he nearly tried writing songs for the other band members. Regarding lead vocals, Frey even threw himself under the bus by telling History of the Eagles, “If you look at [that period], I sang less and less.” He was talking about replacing Don Felder’s vocal on “Victim of Love” with Henley’s. They did it on purpose. Don Henley was with us.
On the other hand, Frey might not give the other players enough credit for their ensemble vocals. Even after Frey passed away in 2016, one of the greatest thrills of their career was hearing all of their voices harmonize. Songs like “Seven Bridges Road” and “No More Walks in the Wood” from their final album exemplified this joy. Of course, no one would go so far as to argue that Joe Walsh was the band’s best vocalist.
It’s hardly surprising that Henley became the group’s breakout star. After the band disbanded, he collaborated with Walsh on solo hits like “The End of the Innocence” and “The Boys of Summer.” In Eagles records, harmonies typically take center stage. When it comes to technical prowess among singers in the band, Henley stands out distinctly ahead of the rest.
