Ex-Eagles Bernie Leadon to Release First Album in 22 Years Too Late to Be Cool

Bernie Leadon, the multi-instrumentalist best known as a founding member of the Eagles, is set to release his first solo album in 22 years. Titled Too Late To Be Cool, the record arrives on October 10, 2025, via Straight Wire Records. It marks the third solo effort in Leadon’s career and his first since 2004’s Mirror.

Bernie’s two previous albums are:

• 1977: Natural Progressions – as The Bernie Leadon-Michael Georgiades Band (Asylum)
• 2004: Mirror (Really Small Entertainment)

Leadon’s work with the Eagles helped shape the band’s signature blend of rock, folk, and country that would dominate the 1970s and beyond.

Born in Minneapolis in 1947 and raised in Gainesville, Florida, Leadon was deeply involved in the Southern California folk and country-rock scene before the Eagles. He played in The Flying Burrito Brothers alongside Gram Parsons and Michael Clarke, and he also appeared with Dillard & Clark, one of the great late-1960s bluegrass-country fusion groups. By the early 1970s, he was already considered one of the finest banjo, guitar, and mandolin players in Los Angeles.

When Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Randy Meisner were recruited by Linda Ronstadt to back her in 1971, Leadon was the final piece added to what became the Eagles. His virtuosity on banjo, pedal steel, and guitar, along with his sweet tenor voice, gave the fledgling band a distinctive edge.

Leadon appeared on the first four Eagles albums:

• Eagles (1972)
• Desperado (1973)
• On the Border (1974)
• One of These Nights (1975)

His songwriting contributions were significant. He co-wrote several songs including “Witchy Woman” (with Don Henley), one of the group’s earliest Top 10 hits, as well as “Bitter Creek” from Desperado and “My Man” from On the Border, a heartfelt tribute to his friend Gram Parsons. He also co-wrote the breezy “Journey of the Sorcerer,” an instrumental from One of These Nights that later became famous as the theme to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Vocally, Leadon often added harmonies but also took the lead on “Train Leaves Here This Morning” (Eagles), “Bitter Creek,” and “My Man.” His country sensibility kept the band grounded during their early years, before Don Felder and Joe Walsh steered the group toward a harder rock sound.

By 1975, the Eagles were evolving into a more arena-focused rock band, leaving behind much of their country-based identity. Leadon, who preferred acoustic instruments and traditional songwriting, grew increasingly frustrated with the band’s new direction, as well as the pressures of stardom and heavy touring.

The breaking point came during the sessions for One of These Nights. Leadon famously poured a beer over Glenn Frey’s head after a heated disagreement, and by late 1975 he quit the group. His departure opened the door for Joe Walsh, who would help define the Eagles’ blockbuster Hotel California era.

After leaving the Eagles, Leadon pursued his own music on a smaller scale. His first post-Eagles release came in 1977 with Natural Progressions, recorded as the Bernie Leadon-Michael Georgiades Band. The record leaned into acoustic textures and harmonies, showing off Leadon’s understated songwriting. While critically admired, it didn’t reach the commercial heights of his former band.

It wasn’t until 2004 that Leadon returned with his second solo album, Mirror. The independently released project featured a mix of folk, bluegrass, and rock, proving his talents had not dimmed. Songs such as “Callin’ for Your Love” displayed the warmth of his voice and his knack for heartfelt storytelling.

Between albums, Leadon remained active as a session musician, playing with artists such as Emmylou Harris, Alabama, and Randy Newman. His skills on string instruments kept him in steady demand.

In 2013, Leadon made a surprise return to the Eagles when he joined Henley, Frey, Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, and Felder for the History of the Eagles world tour. Fans greeted him with standing ovations as he reprised his parts on early classics like “Train Leaves Here This Morning” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.”

While he did not rejoin the band as a permanent member, Leadon’s presence on stage was a reminder of the Eagles’ roots in country rock and the crucial role he played in shaping their sound. His final appearance with the band came before Glenn Frey’s death in 2016, which effectively ended the original Eagles’ performing lineup.

Too Late to Be Cool arrives more than two decades after Mirror and nearly 50 years after Leadon first walked away from the Eagles.

Leadon has hinted that the record will balance reflection with lightheartedness, nodding to his decades in music without succumbing to nostalgia. For fans who followed his journey from the Burrito Brothers to the Eagles, the release represents both a continuation and a rediscovery.

Listen to ‘Too Many Memories’:

And ‘Just A Little’:

Too Late To Be Cool tracklisting:

• “Zero Sum Game”
• “Telescope”
• “Just A Little”
• “Take It As It Comes”
• “Everyone’s Quirky”
• “Go On Down to Mobile”
• “Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool”
• “Too Late To Be Cool”
• “Fathom”
• “Coast Highway”
• “Too Many Memories

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Tagged as: 70s, Bernie Leadon, country, Eagles, Too Late To Be Cool, USA