Joe Walsh

Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles, his six-decade career includes solo work and stints in other bands: the James Gang, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, and New Zealand's Herbs. He was part of the supergroup The Best and had success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, appearing on other artists' recordings. In 2011, Rolling Stone ranked him No. 54 on its list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

In the mid-1960s, after attending Kent State University, Walsh played with several local Ohio bands before reaching national fame with the James Gang, whose hit "Funk 49" showcased his skills. Roger Abramson signed the James Gang to BPI in Cleveland. After leaving the James Gang in 1972, Walsh formed Barnstorm with Joe Vitale and Kenny Passarelli. Though the band produced three albums, their work was marketed as Walsh solo projects. The last Barnstorm album, So What (1974), featured significant contributions from Eagles members.

At producer Bill Szymczyk's suggestion, Walsh joined Eagles in 1975 as guitarist and keyboardist, replacing founding member Bernie Leadon. His first album with them was Hotel California. In 1998, a Guitarist magazine reader's poll named the solos by Walsh and Don Felder on "Hotel California" the best guitar solos ever. Guitar World ranked it eighth in the Top 100 Guitar Solos. As a member of Eagles, Walsh was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. Eagles is one of the most influential bands of the 1970s and remain one of the best-selling American bands in history. Walsh's contributions to music have been praised by Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Pete Townshend.

Walsh has released 12 solo studio albums, six compilation albums, and two live albums. His solo hits include "Rocky Mountain Way," "Life's Been Good," "All Night Long," "A Life of Illusion," and "Ordinary Average Guy."

Walsh was born on November 20, 1947, in Wichita, Kansas. His father, Lt. Robert Newton Fidler, was a pilot in the United States Air Force, who died in a mid-air collision while flying a Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star during maneuvers over Okinawa on July 22, 1949. Walsh's mother, Helen, was a classically trained pianist of Scottish and German ancestry.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.