Don Henley Talks 'Cass Country' and More on the Howard Stern Show
Empty Lighthouse is a reader-supported site. This article may contain affiliate links to Amazon and other sites. We earn a commission on purchases made through these links.
The Howard Stern SiriusXM radio show got treat today as Don Henley stopped by to talk about his latest album Cass Country, perform some of his hits and more.
Earlier this fall Don Henley released his "Cass Country" album featuring artists like Dolly Parton, Mick Jagger and Miranda Lambert. The country approach differs from Henley's famous rock roots as a founding member of the Eagles.
Henley and the Eagles produced huge hits including "Hotel California," which Henley's famous vocals shined on.
Now on the @HowardStern Show: Don Henley! #CassCounty #Eagles #HenleyonHoward #DonHenley
https://t.co/l8mirHaAzY pic.twitter.com/OXmDBpgYQc
-- Stern Show (@sternshow) December 8, 2015
Stern began his interview with Henley by praising him and his music. He told Henley that he believed that he was just as successful on his own as he was with the Eagles. The solo career that Stern was talking about came as a surprise to Henley, as he said in his interview.
Henley was the drummer and at times lead singer as the Eagles mostly used a four-part harmony in their music, showcasing the enormous vocal talent that the rest of his bandmates had.
Stern told Henley how impressed he was that a drummer could drum and sing at the same time. Henley told Stern that he began playing the drums at the age of 15, with his inspiration being Ringo Starr.
The Eagles performing "Hotel California" at Capital Centre
"Don said he lived in a really small town so there was no one around. He said he played in the school band though.
He said that he started out on Trombone and he moved on to the drums and taught himself how to play," according to MarksFriggin's rundown of the show.
The statement was in response to Stern's surprise over the fact that Henley was a self-taught drummer. Though, Henley later on reminds Stern that he is a singer first and that his particular way of drumming allows for the vocals to shine over the drums.
The legendary musician opened up about the famous hit "Desperado," a song he told Stern he did not get to sing as many times as he wanted to.
"He said they were sent to England and they were in a huge studio in London. He said it was cold and dreary out in February," according to MF.
"He said they had the London Philharmonic sitting behind him and he was trying to sing. He said they brought chess boards with them and they were playing chess between takes.
Don said it unnerved him. He said they weren't really into it."
After talk about the track, Henley performed "Desperado" for the Stern Show crew. Later on Henley told Stern that when the drugs began getting in the way of his creativity, he knew it was time to cut them loose.
He was also going to get married and have children which made it all the more important to straighten himself out. The drugs that Henley was on included cocaine and alcohol, but he managed to quit them.
The extensive interview finally got down to the new album, Cass Country, which was named after where Henley grew up. Henley raved about how incredible Dolly Parton was to work with.
Their duet "When I Stop Dreaming," has a deep country tone with the power of both Henley and Parton shining. If you want to read the extensive transcript of the interview you can check it out here.