Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001)

This autobiography details Don Felder's 27 year career as a guitarist in The Eagles, one of America's foremost rock bands. With the help of ghostwriter Wendy Holden, Felder describes his youth in Gainesville, Florida, including relationships with Tom Petty and Stephen Stills. Introduced to the band by mutual friend Bernie Leadon, Felder moved to California and joined the Eagles as a full partner near the end of the recording sessions for their third album On The Border. He co-wrote, played on, and toured for their biggest albums One Of These Nights, Hotel California and The Long Run, while original members Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon quit, replaced by Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmidt. Felder details his difficulties with "The Gods" Don Henley and Glenn Frey, having experienced particular acrimony with Frey. Though unflattering, these treatments rarely extend beyond the expected rock star excesses with drugs, sex and ego (I also suspect that Henley and/or Frey have different accounts of some of these event). Felder explores his own marital difficulties and his eventual expulsion from the band in 2001. This book provides an excellent history of the band and seems like an essential read for Eagles fans.

Being a 30yr fan of The Eagles and guitarist Don Felder, I had to read his book. This is not a typical trash talking tell all tome. It's more of an introspective of Felder's life and career before and during the Eagles era. He does point out intra-group rivalries, ego and vanity trips, and the constant infighting over equitable shares of the group earnings. No different than any insight into a cross section of Rock, Pop, or Country groups today, But this is The Eagles. Well worth the read.

Don Felder's book tells a different story about life as an Eagle. Money rather than music seems to have been the driving force in the latter years. I think without Felder's guitar playing the Eagles' sound that little bit less.

It's not often that celebrity autobiographies are this well written. While credit goes to writer Wendy Holden, Felder surely provided the content, tone and some editing.

Anyone who has been in a workplace controlled by a negative alliance knows the dynamic Felder describes. He goes light on it, but the examples given are classic power trips which would certainly be magnified by the drugs, the adulation of the crowds, the money and the pressure to record and perform in front of 40,000 people.

It's interesting how this played out legally. To walk away (as did two band member/partners) meant the loss of an ownership share. A share was worth millions, but the true amount was elusive knowledge since Felder's shared manager favored the power alliance. I presume Henley and Frey had wanted Felder out for years, and Felder subconsciously understood this and coped accordingly.

I went to Frey's web site. He seems to be responding to this book, and it's not very subtle. He puts his spin on the Cranston fund raiser, the allocation of hotel rooms, the tense creative sessions and other items where he doesn't come off very well.

The childhood predicts that Felder would be sensitive, and the abused wife syndrome an accurate metaphor. When Frey and Henley pulled the plug, Felder's emotional state was as they expected, but they probably never thought he'd sue them. Because these guys are far richer than us normal folks, the suit raised some sneers, but I think Felder needed to do this.

Felder's life is a prism of the times. His roots, while modest, were not uncommon, and are a period piece. His relationship with his parents is pure generation gap. His salt of the earth father had no life experience to help him fathom the forces his son was contending with. His brother, only a few years older, followed the accepted path, but did not have the unseen pressures of Don and his cohorts. A loving mother was caught between.

I never followed the Eagles, but like all Americans, their music is a backdrop to many events in my life. I hadn't given much thought to why I didn't know their faces, nor much about band personnel until the solo careers of Henley and Frey. Now I know that this was by design.

If you are an Eagles fan it is a must read. Don Felder has always been one of my favorite guitar players. After reading this book I learned quite a bit that I didn't know about him, or the Eagles. I still like the music but would never go buy another record, or see them live after reading how the money and greed changed them.