Clipped Wings

“I deliberately tried very hard not to make it a revenge book,” says guitarist Don Felder, author of Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001), which he’ll read from and sign tonight. “I wasn’t out to hang anybody’s head from the highest pole in town. That wasn’t the...

By Michael Roberts

August 7, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

“I deliberately tried very hard not to make it a revenge book,” says guitarist Don Felder, author of Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001), which he’ll read from and sign tonight. “I wasn’t out to hang anybody’s head from the highest pole in town. That wasn’t the intent.” Maybe not, but the two best-known Eagles, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, whom Felder holds responsible for expelling him from the group in 2001, don’t come across terribly well. Granted, Felder has high regard for their skills as songwriters and performers — especially Henley, whom he calls “a brilliant contemporary rock writer. He would have been a fabulous poet if he weren’t a musician. He was a literary major, and not only that — he’s gifted with a brilliant voice.” But in the years following 1994, Felder began to fear that he was being shortchanged financially, and his inquiries weren’t welcomed.

“Whether it was a question about the crew or the artwork or whatever we were doing, I kind of had a ball-gag shoved in my mouth and a check shoved in my hand,” he maintains. “They interpreted it as a challenge to their authority, which was not the intent at all for me to do. It was just simply trying to make certain I wasn’t getting screwed.”

After being dumped, Felder sued the band, settling out of court prior to Heaven and Hell’s release. Still, he insists that the book was more about personal catharsis than score-settling. “I hope I don’t sound too negative,” he says, “because I still have a lot of fond memories.”

Felder drops by the Highlands Ranch Tattered Cover, 9315 Dorchester Street, at 7:30 p.m. The event is free, but Felder will only autograph books, not memorabilia. Get details at 303-470-7050 or www.tatteredcover.com — and read a massive Felder Q&A at blogs.westword.com/latestword.
Tue., Aug. 12, 2008

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo