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Don Henley photo by Andrew Macpherson.

The Eagles ^[2] have long been hailed as an influence on modern country music, a fact that’s never been lost on drummer Don Henley ^[3]. Now it appears Don is aiming to release an album that plays on that history.

He’s been working on an album of country songs — some originals, some covers. He’s in good company in the process. He’s been putting the project together with Stan Lynch, who used to be the drummer with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

“He’s another quasi-redneck who is amazingly gifted and has a killer sense of humor,” Don told Diablo, a San Francisco-area publication. “His dad was a professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and Stan lives on a sheep and timber farm, east of there.”

The Eagles’ sound from the pre-Hotel California era blended country and rock with strong, hooky songs and refined harmonies. That served as a template for a lot of country stars, and Don has taken advantage of the connection before.

In 1992, Don sang harmony on Trisha Yearwood’s Top 5 ballad, “Walkaway Joe,” and was in the video:

In 1993, he had a big hand in the development of Common Thread: The Songs Of The Eagles, an album that featured remakes of the band’s originals by the likes of Alan Jackson ^[5], Brooks & Dunn ^[6], Diamond Rio ^[7] and Tanya Tucker ^[8]. The CD won Album of the Year from the Country Music Association, and it also raised a bunch of money for one of Don’s favorite charities, the Walden’s Woods Project, currently celebrating its 20th anniversary as an environmental agency.

“It’s been a remarkable experience, and a lot has been accomplished,” he said of the charity, “but there is still a tremendous amount of work to do. I would advise young people to start small, start locally.”

The Eagles will be back on the road next month, and one of the shows has an environmental theme: Atlanta’s annual Green Concert is designed to raise money for Piedmont Park.

No release date has been mentioned for Don’s country-themed album.

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