Thanks!
So here is a fresh perspective on Don Felder. My 14-year-old son plays guitar and has been learning HC. He doesn't know anything about Felder's history with the band except that he isn't in it anymore. My son wanted to show me Felder's HC tutorial on Youtube, so we started watching it and after a minute or so of Felder talking my son said, "He's so nice..."
I thought to myself, "Son, if you only knew what is said about him!"
For those interested in watching him take a critical drubbing on the matter of his vocal talents(or lack thereof) in real time, a totally amusing clip from a couple of years back of infamous radio & TV talker Don Imus savaging Don Felder's performance of "Hotel California" on Fox's morning show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz4pWGe1I3E
The main action lasts from 0:15--4:44.
All carrot, no stick.
"He's just another power junkie, just another silk scarf monkey. You'd know it if you saw his stuff. The man just isn't big enough."--Glenn Frey/Don Henley
"You think you know me, but you haven't got a clue."--John Lennon/Paul McCartney
I know this is mean, but after getting excited about a JD Souther performance of Heartache Tonight, I thought I'd listen to one by Don Felder. I wasn't expecting to like it but I was surprised at just how bad (and hammy) Don and his band were.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7GZD5VviiI
Dons version of HC with Tommy shaw is really great though. I wish Felder would use his natural voice and not heavily auto tune it. I really do enjoy that version. Felder has a natural bass tone to his voice. But the auto tune makes sound to tight and robotic. Props to Tommy Shaw who is a natural singer.
Unfortunately, that Heartache Tonight video is blocked here. I wish Don F wouldn't use auto-tune either but the man is pushing 70 now and I guess his voice isn't as strong as it used to be. He's not just singing ballads, he's taking on some rockin' songs. Kudos to him for going out and still doing his thing.
He plays HT three semitones lower, so it sounds a bit different. But of course, he could never sing the chorus - let alone the bridge - in the original key.