Don Henley Laments Lack of Genre Diversity on Today’s Radio: “Nashville Is… I Don’t Know What That Stuff Is”

Don Henley is unequivocally among the most influential rockers of the 20th century. Finding success both as a founding member of The Eagles and later on his own, the “Dirty Laundry” singer’s icon status is here to stay. Having been part of the industry since 1970, Henley has long straddled the line between rock and country music. And the three-time GRAMMY winner has previously made his feelings crystal clear on the current state of Nashville.

Don Henley Says Today’s Country Radio Lacks “Authenticity and “Tradition”

In an August 2023 interview with the 92nd Street Y in New York City, Don Henley recalled the unpredictability of listening to FM radio as a child.

“You could hear everybody on the same channel,” said Henley, 77. “You could hear the Beatles one minute, you could hear Wilson Pickett and James Brown the next minute, you could hear Engelbert Humperdinck the next minute. And you were exposed to a lot of different kinds of music on the same channel.

“It was great,” continued the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. “It had the effect of broadening your palate.”

By contrast, the music coming from Nashville today has shirked the authenticity and tradition that once made the genre great, Henley said. Country legends such as Merle Haggard, George Jones and Loretta Lynn are relegated “to the Heritage Channel.”

“And this is another one of the drawbacks of all this formatting that’s going on,” said the legendary drummer.

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The Eagles Performance Henley Regretted

It’s far from the first time Henley has prioritized artistry over industry. The “Hotel California” hitmaker admitted in a 2018 interview that he regretted the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” performance with Jackson Browne at the 2016 GRAMMY Awards. Afterwards, the band finally accepted their GRAMMY Award for “Hotel California” after skipping out on the 1978 ceremony.

“I sort of wish we hadn’t done it, frankly. It was too soon, too weird. I don’t know why we said yes,” Henley said. “We were still in shock and didn’t know what to do. Then, at the end of it, these two Grammy honchos walked out with the award for Hotel California, which we had refused to show up and accept in 1977.”

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