Warner Chappell Music has signed Eagles founding member Bernie Leadon to a long-term, worldwide publishing agreement.
The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is set to release his first solo album in more than two decades, Too Late to Be Cool, on October 10. He was recently a headliner at the AmericanaFest in Nashville.
Bernie Leadon said: “I have been associated with Warner Chappell and the rest of Warner Music since 1971. I am delighted to renew my connections with them now at this point in the 21st Century. Warner Chappell and Warner Music have always been at the pinnacle of support for songwriters and other music creators, and that reality is still very evident in the current leadership and staff. My sincere thanks go to all of them.”
Guy Moot, co-chair and CEO, and Carianne Marshall, co-chair and COO, said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that much of the music we call Americana today owes a deep debt to Bernie’s boundary-crossing inspiration. He has helped shape a canon of iconic music, from his early years with genre-defying groups like The Flying Burrito Brothers and Dillard & Clark to his generation-defining work with the Eagles to his countless collaborations with other artists.
“His creativity, musical brilliance, and pure devotion to his craft have made him a true American treasure, with six decades of extraordinary songs and sounds to his credit. We’re honoured and excited to welcome him into the Warner Chappell family.”
His creativity, musical brilliance, and pure devotion to his craft have made him a true American treasure
Guy Moot
Greg Sowders, SVP, A&R and catalogue, Warner Chappell Music, added: “As a master musician, songwriter and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bernie inspired me to start my first real band. And now as his music publisher, I continue to be inspired by his writing and playing, particularly by his new album Too Late To Be Cool. His legend continues.”
The new album marks Leadon’s reunion with producer/engineer Glyn Johns (Rolling Stones, The Who, Eric Clapton, and more).
In 1971, Leadon co-founded the Eagles alongside Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Randy Meisner. His signature contributions – on guitar, banjo, mandolin, and harmony vocals – were central to the band’s early sound. He stepped away from the Eagles in 1975.
In 1998, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Eagles.
(L-R): Greg Sowders (WCM), Guy Moot (WCM), Bernie Leadon, Carianne Marshall (WCM), Trevian Kutti
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