Proud Products of Texas Public Schools

Don Henley
Graduate of Linden-Kildare High School

Don Henley has an international reputation as a musician, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Eagles. The Eagles, formed in 1971, were a group that pioneered and personified a uniquely American musical style blending country, folk, R&B, rock, and pop sensibilities.

Henley’s subsequent solo career is also impressive. In 1982 his debut album, I Can’t Stand Still, established a creative direction that would make him one of the most relevant, resonant voices of our time.

Henley also has been extremely active in environmental and humanitarian issues. In 1997, in recognition of his efforts to save Walden Woods and his role in establishing the Thoreau Institute, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Bill Clinton.

“Public school, in a small AA district, served me well. A brilliant, dedicated English teacher instilled in me a love of poetry and literature. Constant bullying gave me resilience and strengthened my will for survival. Older classmates and some long-suffering band directors taught me that music was a passport to the world and all the beauty in it. My Ag teacher (along with my father) gave me the idea that dirt is good. You can’t buy that kind of a well-rounded education in any private institution. My oldest child will start to school this fall—public school. Her siblings will follow.”

—Don Henley