Miami Vice gave him time to hone up his acting chops, and adding his music to the mix wasn't a bad deal for him either. He had a natural ability, unlike many musicians who tried to do film or TV. His humor seemed to push through the camera lens. But it was his music that grabbed us all.
The magic created by the melodies he wrote singly and with Don Henley, JD Souther, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne and others, sung with his achingly warm voice became staples for classic rock stations. He sang, played piano, keyboards, guitar and wrote songs everyone knew by heart: Take it Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Lyin' Eyes, Heartache Tonight, Tequila Sunrise. He evoked an intimate conversation with the listener. His harmonies with Henley, Timothy B Schmit, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and Don Felder are the things dreams are made of. They were instinctive. Beautiful. Memorable.
Although his guitar playing was secondary to his songwriting and vocals, Henley deserves the recognition of someone who Sang & Played From The Heart.
