Bernie Leadon, one of the architects of country rock as a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers and co-founder of the Eagles, has signed a long-term global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. Alongside the agreement, he’ll release his first solo album in more than 20 years, Too Late to Be Cool, arriving Oct. 10 on Straight Wire Records.
Born in Minneapolis and raised in Gainesville, Fla. — his late brother Tom played with fellow Gainesvillian Tom Petty — Leadon grew up steeped in bluegrass and acoustic traditions. His early work with Dillard & Clark and on the Burrito Brothers’ second and third albums fused traditional instrumentation with progressive songwriting, laying the foundation for what would later be dubbed Americana. In 1971, he co-founded the Eagles with Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner, helping craft the band’s signature sound meshing country and rock.
His contributions — on guitar, banjo, pedal steel and mandolin — defined early Eagles albums such as the band self-titled debut, Desperado and One of These Nights. He co-wrote the Hot 100 top 10 hit “Witchy Woman” with Henley and he’s the tasty lead guitarist you mostly hear on Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975, aka, the best-selling album in U.S. history.
After departing the Eagles in 1975 as the band started to shift away from its countrified roots, Leadon became a sought-after collaborator, working with artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Stephen Stills, Michael Georgiades, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Alabama. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Eagles in 1998.
(L-R): Greg Sowders (WCM), Guy Moot (WCM), Bernie Leadon, Carianne Marshall (WCM), Trevian Kutti
WCM
Leadon now returns with Too Late to Be Cool, a collection of originals including”Just a Little,” “Go On Down to Mobile” and the introspective “Too Many Memories.” The album reunites him with Eagles producer Glyn Johns and was recorded live to analog tape without overdubs, reflecting Leadon’s preference of authenticity over flash.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that much of the music we call Americana today owes a deep debt to Bernie’s boundary-crossing inspiration,” said WCM CEO Guy Moot and COO Carianne Marshall. “He has helped shape a canon of iconic music… His creativity, musical brilliance, and pure devotion to his craft have made him a true American treasure, with six decades of extraordinary songs and sounds to his credit.”
Leadon added: “I have been associated with Warner Chappell and the rest of Warner Music since 1971. I am delighted to renew my connections with them now at this point in the 21st Century. Warner Chappell and Warner Music have always been at the pinnacle of support for songwriters and other music creators, and that reality is still very evident in the current leadership and staff.”
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