By the time Joe Walsh joined the Eagles in 1975, his reputation for hard living was already legendary.
The guitarist — who first rose to fame with the James Gang and their hit “Funk #49” and found solo success with “Rocky Mountain Way”— spent decades chasing the excesses that defined rock and roll in the 1970s and ’80s. Looking back now, he says the turning point came when he realized the lifestyle had stopped working.
“I chased it for 30 years,” the 78-year-old says. “Obviously, I thought I wasn’t drinking enough.”
The remark comes with the kind of hard-earned clarity that only arrives in hindsight. Walsh says getting sober in the 1990s ultimately became the key to sustaining one of rock’s longest-running careers.
Speaking recently with Sammy Hagar, the electric guitar legend reflected on the lessons he’s learned over more than five decades in music — from staying relevant across generations to confronting the addiction that nearly derailed his life.
“The reason I’m here,” Walsh said, “is if you can break through to a different generation than yours. If more than one generation is aware of your music, you can stick around for a while.”
He added another piece of advice with his trademark humor: “Don’t get famous for 15 minutes — just get famous a little bit and stay that way.”