![\"Don](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Don-Henley-The-Eagles-2019-Musician-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
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(Credits: Far Out \/ Derek Russell)<\/p>\n
Sat 11 October 2025 19:30, UK <\/p>\n
The records that Don Henley<\/a> gravitated towards never had to be in one distinct category.<\/p>\n Although someone who steered the Eagles through thick and thin would normally be expected to listen to mellow music, Henley was always happy to turn on anything that struck his fancy, whether that was the biggest names in rock and roll or the occasional soul song for the right occasion. But if you\u2019re one of the biggest names in country-rock, chances are you\u2019re going to find yourself going back to the classics.<\/p>\n Then again, Henley knew a lot of the greatest country artists of all time like the back of his hand. He was already listening to country music since he had been listening to rock and roll, and even if he had an affection for bands like The Beatles and Elvis Presley when he was growing up, it wasn\u2019t out of the question to listen to artists like Tammy Wynette and George Jones right alongside the rock stations.<\/p>\n In fact, that was part of the beauty for how the format worked for him at the time. There are many streaming services that will give you playlists based on the kind of music that you like to listen to, but rather than finding four other bands that sound exactly like Led Zeppelin<\/a>, for instance, Henley was looking for artists that could be a bit more eclectic. On his favourite radio stations, you would get Sam and Dave right alongside Hank Williams, and people wouldn\u2019t bat an eye.<\/p>\n That helped everyone refine their palette a bit more, but there was something about country music that burrowed a hole in Henley\u2019s heart. A lot of the music that he made in his later years ended up sounding quite a bit like the kind of tunes that sound like they belong in an old Western town, but that only came from him listening to Merle Haggard as much as he could.<\/p>\n Although Haggard has certainly earned a spot in country history to stand alongside the legends like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, the true power he had was in his voice. The baritone that Cash had was never going to be matched, but Henley felt that Haggard was always at his best when he had a few more years of experience under his belt.<\/p>\n