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One of the principal architects of the Southern California country-rock sound, Souther famously played a key role in the formation of the Eagles and co-wrote their hits “Heartache Tonight,” “Victim of Love,” “New Kid In Town,” and “Best of My Love,” as well as writing Linda Ronstadt’s classics “Faithless Love,” “Simple Man, Simple Dream,” and “Prisoner in Disguise.”A highly sought-after songwriter and session man, Souther also released three critically acclaimed solo albums -- “John David Souther,” (1972) “Black Rose,” (1976), and “You’re Only Lonely” (1979) -- and two albums as a member of The Souther Hillman Furay Band, the supergroup which united Souther with Poco’s Richie Furay and the Byrds’ Chris Hillman.
But in 1985, after countless hit records, Grammy nominations, American Music Awards, and gold and platinum albums, J.D. Souther decided to walk away from his solo career. According to Souther: “I just wanted to be a good songwriter. I wanted to just stay home and write.”
Relocating to Nashville, Souther wrote for and with artists as diverse as India.Arie, Brooks & Dunn, Jimmy Buffet, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Crosby Stills & Nash, Dixie Chicks, Don Henley, One Flew South, Roy Orbison, Bernadette Peters, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Wilson, , Warren Zevon, and most recently the newly re-formed Eagles, who chose Souther’s protest song “How Long” as the debut single from their first studio album in twenty-eight years.
Tonight, Souther returns with his first studio album in twenty-five years: IF THE WORLD WAS YOU. The album is a step forward and a return to Souther’s Amarillo, Texas roots, where the young multi-instrumentalist grew up steeped in the improvisatory jazz sensibilities of John Coltrane and Miles Davis as well as in the music of rock pioneers Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, and Roy Orbison, all of whose influences are evident throughout.
The work of a musician at the height of his considerable powers, IF THE WORLD WAS YOU is whip-smart, adventurous, seductive, and shot through with the sublime longing that characterizes Souther’s finest work. And his voice -- one of the most plaintive and soulful in rock ‘n roll -- has never sounded so immediate and so powerful.
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