By: Andrew Vaughan

A key figure in California’s country rock and singer/songwriter movement of the early 70s, JD Souther wrote some of the finest songs of that era, including the Eagles' "Heartache Tonight," "Victim of Love," "New Kid In Town," and "Best of My Love."  He also penned a few classics for one time girlfriend Linda Ronstadt: "Faithless Love," "Simple Man, Simple Dream," and "Prisoner in Disguise." Back in the day, Souther released three critically-acclaimed solo albums, and he also released two albums as a member of the commercially unsuccessful but critically adored Souther Hillman Furay Band, the supergroup which united Souther with 70s heavyweights Poco's Richie Furay and The Byrds' Chris Hillman.

But in 1985, J.D. Souther decided to walk away from his solo career. According to Souther, "I just wanted to be a good songwriter. I wanted to just stay home and write."  Based in the songwriters’ capital of the world, Souther wrote for and with artists as diverse as Brooks & Dunn, Jimmy Buffet, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Crosby Stills & Nash, Diamond Rio, the Dixie Chicks, Don Henley, One Flew South, Roy Orbison, Bernadette Peters, Bonnie Raitt, George Strait, Brian Wilson, Trisha Yearwood and Warren Zevon. In October 2008, Souther returned with his first studio album in twenty-five years: If the World Was You. His follow-up release is his first live recording, Rain, which was recorded live at Nashville's historic Belcourt Theatre. The albums appear on indie label, Slow Curve.

So tell us a little about Slow Curve Records.

“It’s my own record label. The business model for the record industry has changed over the years. Now the artist has more control. The artist has more communication with the fans. It’s a different time. You need to devote a lot of time to the internet, to making contact, lots of touring, and you have to be creative and hard-working to replace the huge mechanism we used to be part of. In the late, late 1970s, there were just few hundred albums released each year; last year, in 2008, there were 115,000 albums and out of that only 15,000 sold 10,000 or more copies! It’s a different world for those of us who started in the 60s. In those days the big record companies did everything – now you have to make your own way in the world.”

Does having icon status help in marketing your music?

“Probably. It helps if you do have name recognition, but it also makes it more difficult because this is such a youth-oriented culture. Everyone wants something that’s new. It’s a double-edged sword. Luckily, I’ve been writing songs for so long that I’ve always had a career in music. I was writing when I wasn’t putting out albums. I try and do good shows and make records that have integrity and that are interesting."

You saw some of your young LA friends achieve superstar status - I’m thinking of the Eagles, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt. Do you feel blessed that you managed to avoid the downside of fame while also being involved in such significant music?

“I don’t chase celebrity. I’m a musician. I started when I was 10. I always played music 'cause I loved it.  It wasn’t like I suddenly thought, 'Let’s get a guitar and make some money.' I was a jazz drummer. And I played violin, saxophone, and clarinet.  I loved Rib. I always loved Ray Charles. You know Ray Charles and Miles Davis, those are the two for me, and George Jones - always had such clarity about what they were doing.”

So back in those glory days in the Troubadour club in Hollywood where country rock and the singer/songwriter movement of the 70s was born, was your crowd of friends more interested in music than attention?

“Well you know, everybody at 22 wanted fame and attention, but my group of friends was all serious about doing it well. The year that we were all there was 1969. It was a bumper crop year of songwriters. A lot of things came to fruition. Hanging out at Troubadour was Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Carole King - every major writer of the next 25 years was at the Troubadour and every one of them was serious about their music and doing it right.”

The Belcourt show sounds like a lot of fun, for you and the audience....

“The live recording was pretty special. The band was amazing on the night and the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville sold out, some of my friends in the guest list couldn’t get in. And it was a great night. I’m going to keep on playing and touring; I have a new album in mind, probably more cohesive than the last one. I’m enjoying it.  And when you get to play with young people like I did in New York recently, you get inspiration from their enthusiasm and creativity. It’s a cool time, and I’m looking forward to this next year.”

Check out JD Souther at his website, www.jdsouther.net. The man is a rare gem of integrity, humility and talent and his new live recording, available for download, is a remarkable glimpse of a master at work.

Andrew Vaughan is a well known and respected Nashville based writer.  As a music critic his work has appeared in Billboard, Music Week, Mojo, "Q", the London Times, the Guardian, and Folk Roots.  He was the founding director of Country Music International magazine and a regular guest on BBC Radio, BBC TV, and VH1.