Henley will be honored for his musical achievements and his commitment to environmental issues, artists' rights
GRAMMY.com
Multi-GRAMMY-winning recording artist Don Henley will be honored at the 2007 MusiCares Person of the Year dinner and concert on Feb. 9, it was announced today by MusiCares and Recording Academy President Neil Portnow and MusiCares Chairman Les Bider. Proceeds from this annual GRAMMY Week gala — to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center two days prior to the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards — provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.
Henley, both a founding member of the Eagles and a successful solo artist, will be feted for his exceptional professional achievements as well as his commitment to a range of philanthropic causes, from environmental issues to artists' rights concerns.
"Don is one of the most relevant and respected musical voices of our time, and it is a fitting testament to his extraordinary talents and charitable work that he will be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year," said Portnow.
"His music legacy spans decades and we felt it was a perfect moment to honor his career-long achievements," added Bider.
The evening will feature a special reception and silent auction sponsored by sports and entertainment promoter AEG that will offer an unparalleled range of luxury and one-of-a-kind items. The auction will be followed by a gala dinner, an award presentation and a star-studded tribute concert. The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute dinner is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week, a celebration that culminates with the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 11, 2007, from Staples Center in Los Angeles. The telecast will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Henley launched his solo career in 1982 with his debut album I Can't Stand Still, featuring the hit single "Dirty Laundry." 1984's Building The Perfect Beast yielded four hit singles: "The Boys Of Summer," "All She Wants To Do Is Dance," "Sunset Grill" and "Not Enough Love In The World." That year, Henley garnered five GRAMMY nominations and won the award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male for "The Boys Of Summer." The artist's track record continued unabated with 1989's The End Of The Innocence, which yielded three more hits, including the title track, and brought Henley another Best Rock Vocal GRAMMY Award.
The Eagles, with Henley as a founding member, pioneered and epitomized a musical style that included elements of country, folk, R&B, rock and pop and became one of the most influential American bands in recent decades. The Eagles have sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, earning five No. 1 albums, four No. 1 U.S. singles, and three GRAMMY Awards. They are the only recording artists in musical history to have three albums that have sold more than 10 million units. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is the best-selling U.S. album of all time, with sales in excess of 29 million. Their recent DVD release, Farewell I Tour: Live From Melbourne, has been certified 14-times platinum. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 1990, Henley founded the Walden Woods Project, which leads the effort to preserve historic Walden Woods, the 2,680-acre ecological area surrounding Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Since its formation, the nonprofit organization has protected nearly 150 acres in and around Walden Woods and has provided quality programs for hundreds of high school teachers and students. The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods (owned and managed by the Walden Woods Project) houses the world's most comprehensive library on Thoreau and is an important resource for researchers/writers from throughout the United States and beyond.
In addition to his work with the Walden Woods Project, Henley founded the Caddo Lake Institute in his native East Texas, a privately operating foundation to act as an "ecosystem-specific" sponsoring entity, underwriting local wetland science and conservation education including cultural and ecological research and monitoring. Additionally, Henley co-founded the Recording Artists' Coalition, a nonprofit, non-partisan group formed to represent the interests of recording artists with regard to legislative issues in which corporate and artists' interests conflict, and to address other public policy debates that come before the music industry.
