The musician Don Henley called “one of the last authentic artists”
The Eagles have always been indebted to the great artists of American history. Whether it was the original sounds of rock and roll emanating from Chuck Berry’s guitar or the crafting of poetry from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Don Henley and Glenn Frey were interested in making music that reflected the American dream rather than stringing a catchy melody together. Of all the fantastic artists that have influenced them, though, Henley thought that this country music icon was one of the best in the business.
When looking at the band’s career trajectory, they were never too far away from country music. Listening to songs like ‘Desperado’ or even ‘Already Gone’, it’s easy to tell that the band had a healthy respect for the songs coming out of the American South, no doubt influenced by the fantastic country bends of lead guitarist Bernie Leadon.
At the same time, Henley was known to have a problem with the band being called an exclusively country act. Instead of being praised for their eclectic tastes, most of the press for the band ended up focusing on their connections to country music, not willing to hear their different sonic detours on albums like One of These Nights or their career swan song, The Long Run.
When asked how he categorises his music, Henley always maintained that all kinds of American music influenced the band. While he was brought up seeing The Beatles for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show, Henley was drawn to telling a story that was firmly rooted in American culture, especially when it came to both the facade and the dark realities behind what makes The American Dream.
That fascination with authenticity often guided Henley’s listening habits beyond the confines of rock. He gravitated towards artists who could distil complex histories into simple, emotionally direct songs, valuing clarity of voice over technical flash. For Henley, the best American music functioned like oral history, preserving regional identity while still speaking to universal experiences of loss, hope, and resilience.
Country music, at its best, embodied those qualities perfectly. The genre’s emphasis on narrative and character mirrored what Henley was trying to achieve within the Eagles, even when the band wrapped those ideas in harmonies and polished production. Rather than seeing country as a limitation, Henley viewed it as a deep well of storytelling tradition, one that many rock artists quietly borrowed from even if they resisted the label.
That’s not to say that Henley didn’t embrace his rustic roots, with his solo album Cass County featuring traditional instrumentation inspired by the American music of days gone by. When getting the right people to sing on the record, Henley praised one country legend for being the best in their field.
When recording the song ‘When I Stop Dreaming’, Henley enlisted the help of Dolly Parton to sing the song as a duet. Though Henley had become a living legend by this point, he thought that Parton was one of the best examples of what great American music could be.
Speaking with Billy Joel, Henley recalled how much Parton has done for the music world, saying, “I think Dolly Parton is a national treasure. She is the real deal. She is one of the most authentic artists that we have left. There’s so much culture and history represented in her voice. She’s a small person, but when that voice comes out, you hear the history of an entire culture of people who live in the mountainous regions of the United States”.
Even if Henley may not have taken inspiration from Parton directly throughout his career, it’s easy to see their similar paths as songwriters. While a song like ‘Desperado’ may be trademarked by Henley’s voice, a song like that probably would never have been had songs like ‘Jolene’ or ‘Coat of Many Colors’ came first, painting a loving picture of those struggling with hard times in the heartland of America. They may have approached their music from two different genres, but when listening to either the Eagles or Dolly Parton, you’re listening to the heart of what the best of American music has to offer.
