Joe Walsh's Real Name: Joseph Fidler Walsh

Quick answer: Joe Walsh's documented full name is Joseph Fidler Walsh. AllMusic lists that form as also known as and dates his birth to November 20, 1947, in Wichita, Kansas. Encyclopedia.com independently records the same full name, date, and city (AllMusic; Encyclopedia.com).

Real name and early life

He is known professionally as Joe Walsh. Encyclopedia.com says he was raised in Ohio, or, in the same article's "For the Record" section, in Cleveland, and that he played bass in high-school bands including the Nomads before attending Kent State University. AllMusic likewise places the Nomads (and the G-Clefs) in his early years, says he studied the oboe and clarinet, attended Kent State, and fronted a collegiate group, the Measles, from 1965 to 1969 before picking up the guitar in a serious way.

Career highlights

AllMusic says he joined the Cleveland hard-rock trio the James Gang after leaving school and appeared on their debut, Yer' Album; The James Gang Rides Again (1970) was a commercial breakthrough with the FM favorite "Funk #49," and Thirds yielded "Walk Away." Encyclopedia.com's narrative also dates the James Gang joining to 1969, though a chronology in the same entry lists him as the group's lead guitarist from 1966 to 1971. AllMusic says he left because the trio format felt confining, moved to Colorado, formed Barnstorm for a 1972 album, and made his proper solo debut with The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get (1973), which reached the Top Ten on the strength of "Rocky Mountain Way." But Seriously, Folks... (1978) included "Life's Been Good," which AllMusic calls his biggest pop hit; the Urban Cowboy soundtrack later yielded "All Night Long." Encyclopedia.com says the Eagles recruited him in 1976 to replace Bernie Leadon; his first album with the band, Hotel California, reached No. 1 and won Grammys, including record of the year in 1977 for the title track, the entry records. AllMusic also lists him as a member of the Eagles. Encyclopedia.com emphasizes his volume of studio work for other artists, naming B.B. King, Dan Fogelberg, Rod Stewart, and Graham Nash among those who called on his playing, and quotes him telling Guitar World that the Eagles asked him to join in part as a specialist in humor when the band was taking everything too seriously.

Name notes for searchers

Joseph Fidler Walsh is the documented full name; the professional name is Joe Walsh. Searchers looking for the James Gang guitarist, the Eagles' Hotel California era, or "Life's Been Good" are usually aiming at the same person.