Don Henley's Real Name: Donald Hugh Henley

Quick answer: Don Henley's documented full name is given as Donald Hugh Henley by AllMusic, which dates his birth to July 22, 1947, in Gilmer, Texas, and says he was raised in Linden, Texas. One Encyclopedia.com profile places the birth itself in Linden; another Encyclopedia.com entry agrees with AllMusic's Gilmer birth and Linden upbringing (AllMusic; Encyclopedia.com).

Real name and early life

He is known professionally as Don Henley. AllMusic says his father ran an auto-parts business and his mother taught; Encyclopedia.com gives the same occupations. After a high-school football injury he moved into the marching band and took up drums, AllMusic records, then played in the Four Speeds, later renamed Shiloh. He spent a year at Stephen F. Austin University and later studied English at North Texas State University. AllMusic says he left after three semesters to attend to his ailing father; a later Encyclopedia.com profile instead says he earned a degree in English. Kenny Rogers encouraged Shiloh to move to Los Angeles, where the band recorded an album in 1970. There Henley met Glenn Frey, and both played in Linda Ronstadt's backing group before forming the Eagles with Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner.

Career highlights

AllMusic dates the Eagles' self-titled debut to 1972, with early hits including "Witchy Woman," "Take It Easy," and "Peaceful Easy Feeling." Henley sang and co-wrote many of the group's best-known songs, including "Hotel California," "Desperado," "Best of My Love," "One of These Nights," "Life in the Fast Lane," and "The Long Run." After the band's early-1980s breakup he began a solo career with I Can't Stand Still (1982), whose single "Dirty Laundry" reached the Top 10, AllMusic says. Building the Perfect Beast (1984) included "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance." The End of the Innocence (1989) went multi-platinum, with the title track and "The Heart of the Matter." The Eagles reunited in 1994. Later solo albums include Inside Job (2000) and Cass County (2015).

Name notes for searchers

AllMusic gives Donald Hugh Henley; Encyclopedia.com lists him as Don Henley. The professional name is Don Henley. Searchers looking for the Eagles' drummer and singer, or for the voice on "Hotel California" and "The Boys of Summer," are usually aiming at the same person.