Joe Walsh

Background

Joseph Fidler Walsh was born on November 20, 1947, in Wichita, Kansas. He was born to Lt. Robert Newton Fidler, a flight instructor for the U.S. Air Force who died in a plane crash in 1949. His mother was a classical pianist. He was adopted at five years old by his stepfather and given the surname, although he kept Fidler as his middle name. He lived for several years in Columbus, Ohio, and then moved to New York City. He also went to Montclair, New Jersey, where he attended Montclair High School and played oboe. He got his first guitar at 10 years old. He began his career by replacing Bruce Hoffman as the bass player in the Nomads. After high school, he went to Kent State University, where he played for several bands. He majored in English and minored in music. He eventually dropped out of college to pursue music full-time.

He played for The Measles between 1965 and 1967 and then for James Gang between 1968 and 1971. Their debut album, “Yer’ Album,” came out in 1969. He also played for Barnstorm from 1971 to 1975, shifting to Colorado. He joined the Eagles in 1975, replacing Bernie Leadon. The fifth studio album, “Hotel California,” was released in 1976 and was a success globally. The ‘Hotel California’ song topped all charts by May 1977 and became one of the band’s most iconic songs. The album “Life in the Fast Lane,” released in 1977, with a riff by Walsh, became a success and was followed by “The Long Run” in 1979. Walsh’s first solo album was “So What” in 1974. His live album, “You Can’t Argue with a Sick Mind,” was released in 1976. In 1978, “But Seriously, Folks” marked his career high. One of his most popular songs was ‘A Life of Illusion.’ His last album was “Songs for a Dying Planet” in 1992, although he later released a solo album, “One Day at a Time,” in 2012. The Eagles came together again in 1994 for a performance and subsequent tour along with “Hell Freezes Over,” which had several successful tracks. They performed again in 1999 and 2001, with several recordings released. Their “The Very Best Of” was released in 2003, while the tour line-up was released in 2005, titled “Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne,” with two new tracks. The group’s album “Long Road Out of Eden” came out in 2007 and then a world tour was launched in 2008.

Walsh has performed in several concerts to raise money for charitable causes. He also funded a scholarship at Kent State University in 2008. He has been active in conserving Santa Cruz Island. He has been married five times, namely to Margie Walsh, Stefanie Rhodes, Juanita Boyer, Denise Driscoll, and currently to Marjorie Bach (sister of Barbara Bach and sister-in-law to Ringo Starr) in 2008. His daughter, Lucy Walsh, is a musician. Emma Kristen, his eldest daughter, died at three years old due to an automobile accident.