BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
Don Felder is the ideal artist to include in any classic rock tour.
Between his pedigree and recognizability as a former member of the Eagles – he’s the guy responsible for writing the music for “Hotel California” and playing on dozens of other hits during his 1974-2001 tenure – and his genuine love of performing, it’s not surprising that Felder always has a steady gig.
Last summer he embarked on a lengthy outing with Styx and Foreigner. This spring, he’s playing a handful of dates with his old pals in the Doobie Brothers – the show swings by Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park Saturday – and in the fall will roll down a few more highways with the Steve Miller band. Later this year, a solo tour of South America is also possible, primarily since it’s a market the Eagles never played (“I think Glenn Frey was always worried about getting Montezuma's revenge,” Felder joked).
Oh, and his recent AXS TV special, “Don Felder: Live in Las Vegas,” will arrive on DVD in a couple of months.
See what we mean about him staying busy?
Recently, the gregarious and youthful-at-67 Felder chatted from his home in California about his plans for 2015, how he stays fit and what to expect from his upcoming show.
Q: Last year you were out with Styx and Foreigner, and this year you’re playing a handful of dates with the Doobies. Is there a backstory?
A: I've known those guys for decades and done some charity fundraisers with them in L.A. The response was so great from the Boston/Doobies/Felder package (also last summer). The guys are really amazing musicians and great singers. It's the same niche market for classic rock audiences who know both the Eagles collection and my solo stuff.
Q: Tell us about your set. You have a full band with you, right?
A: We'll probably play about an hour. I'll have a really amazing band with me. I've been with them 10 years and they're all thoroughbreds in their own right. There are five pieces including me. It's a lean and mean machine. It's such a fun group of people - there's no drama, no hissy fits. When I started putting this band together, the highest priority in people selection wasn't how great they played or sang but how great of people they were. You're married to them for months at a time.
Q: Do you think there will be any collaborating with the Doobies onstage?
A: We didn't have anything planned with Styx, but Tommy (Shaw) came out and played "Hotel California" with me and I did "Blue Collar Man" with them, and we'd sometimes sit in with Foreigner, so it just kind of happened. Those sorts of things can't really be planned. If people are amenable to that, it works.
Q: Last year you told me about the book you were thinking of doing, “Road Tales” (a compilation of musicians’ stories from touring, with the proceeds going to charity). Any update?
A: I'm thinking of doing a sequel to "Heaven and Hell," (Felder's candid 2008 autobiography) so I thought my story (from the end of that book) might be a good premise for the first part of "Road Tales" and then tack on other individual tour stories from other artists. I might recruit a couple of Doobies!
Q: You seem to always have something in the works.
A: I try to balance work and family. As long as I'm able physically and mentally to do it, I will. When I first left the Eagles, I said that's it, I'm going to play golf. After 10 days it was like… there has to be more to life! I can still swing a golf club and, don't forget, Les Paul played until he literally passed away.
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Q: Do you do anything specific to stay of sound body and mind?
A: I graduated from high school at 165 pounds, so twice a year I get back to that number - I never let it get to 172-73. Then I go back to doubling the cardio. This week I'm on a complete liquid diet, a juice fast. It keeps me lean and hungry. I do cardio, and we have a gym in the house. I have a Pilates reformer and fell in love with being toned and in shape. I think anything you want to do in life that you're committed to takes a lot of discipline. I carry a yoga mat for some hotels that don't have a gym and have a series of yoga workouts on my iPad. It's important for me to stay fit.
Q: Do you still enjoy the rigors of the road?
A: The thing that started me when I was 10 - and I'm still obsessed with it - is playing music. And it's only gotten better with the success I've had, to be able to deliver a performance and a body of work that people know. For me it's about as good as it gets. The only thing that is better is (performing) and the money going to some charity - that's the win-win-win. I don't need to go out and do it for money, but I need to play music.
Q: Do you think you’ll do a follow-up to “Road to Forever” (Felder’s 2012 solo release)?
A: I absolutely will. When? I can't give you a delivery date yet. But I write and record all the time. That last record I had 28-35 songs, I cut it down to 16 and went in and recorded those. Being a musician is multi-faceted and I respect musicians who write, play and record. I enjoy all three facets.
Q: Do you play every day?
A: I do. I play guitar every day whether I'm sitting in my family room with the big screen TV on, or I might be playing unconsciously and I'll hear something go by (on TV) and try to figure out what it is. A lot of times I'm driving and singing some melody or a chorus line and I'll sing it into the cell phone. I assimilate these small snapshots of ideas and when I have time to sit in my studio, I try to flesh them out. A lot of times when I'm on a plane or the bus I sit and write lyrics, the concept of the song, so I'm ready when it comes time to assemble lyrics and song ideas to music.
Q: Are you still keeping an eye on the late night shows for any musical acts that pique your interest?
A: I do that on all three of the late night shows. Some really unique bands come on. It's interesting for me to look at the range of music happening right now. Musically, it seems like every time I turn on the radio there is a marked similarity to the production style, the writing. It's a very narrow bandwidth of musical variety and for me, that's death. I have to try everything when I write – some harder rock, some pedal steel. To express myself in multiple colors is important. I keep waiting to hear that unique approach again, like when the Beatles or Hendrix showed up.
About the Author
