Reservoir Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSVR), an award-winning independent music company, today announced a global publishing deal with 5x Grammy-winning artist, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, legendary guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist Joe Walsh. The deal includes hits from his catalog as a solo artist and as a member of groups like the Eagles and the James Gang, as well as future works.
A Kansas native, Walsh broke through to mainstream as the front man and hitmaker of the James Gang, whose first three albums all made appearances on the Billboard Top 200 in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These albums featured several tracks co-written by Walsh, such as the hit songs “Funk #49” and “Walk Away.” In 1975, he became an international phenomenon as a member of the legendary rock band the Eagles. Walsh redefined the Eagles’ musical landscape. The first album to feature Walsh was Hotel California. Walsh’s percussive guitar style introduced an edge to the band’s sound, which transformed the Eagles’ laid back country-rock sound into rock anthems like “Life in The Fastlane” (co-written by Walsh). Hotel California is one of the best-selling albums of all time, having been certified 26x-Platinum and sold over 32 million records worldwide.
Walsh also co-wrote tracks across the Eagles’ The Long Run and Long Road Out of Eden, both of which were #1 albums and are certified 7x-Platinum, with hits like “In The City.” In addition to his success with the Eagles, Walsh earned acclaim as a solo artist, releasing 11 albums including The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get and But Seriously Folks, which feature co-writes by Walsh, including the anthemic hits “Rocky Mountain Way,” “Life’s Been Good,” and “A Life of Illusion.”
Walsh’s unique and definable guitar playing style also earned him legendary status and international renown, with Rolling Stone ranking him at #54 on their list of the Best Guitarists of All Time and Guitar World ranking his guitar solo on “Hotel California” at #8 on the list Best Guitar Solos of All Time. Walsh was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, alongside his Eagles bandmates, and earlier this year was appointed by President Biden to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
In addition to his legendary musical career, Walsh has been involved with veteran-related causes for years. It is for this reason that Walsh, along with his wife, founded VetsAid in 2017, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, whose charter is to support veterans groups across the country that are addressing the needs of our returning soldiers. Through the establishment of VetsAid and its annual benefit concert, he aims to give back to those who have given so much in sacrifice for the country. This year’s event will be held in San Diego on November 12th with performances by ELO, Joe Walsh, and special guests Steven Stills, The War on Drugs, The Flaming Lips, and Lucus. Visit www.vetsaid.org for more details.
On signing with Reservoir, Walsh said, “It is such a pleasure to be partnered with a team who are hands on and personal and who have shown their passion for and dedication to my work. I look forward to a great partnership and future with Reservoir.”
Reservoir Executive Vice President, Global Creative Director Donna Caseine also commented, “As a member of one of the most influential and best-selling bands of all time and as front man and hitmaker of the critically acclaimed James Gang, Joe’s expansive catalog is one that will continue to connect with listeners for a long time to come. It is an honor to partner with Joe and we look forward to supporting him in all his future endeavors.”
ABOUT RESERVOIR
Reservoir is an independent music company based in New York City and with offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, Toronto, London, and Abu Dhabi. Reservoir is the first female-founded and led publicly traded independent music company in the U.S. Founded as a family-owned music publisher in 2007, Reservoir has grown to represent over 150,000 copyrights and 36,000 master recordings with titles dating as far back as 1900 and hundreds of #1 releases worldwide. Reservoir frequently holds a Top 10 U.S. Market Share according to Billboard’s Publishers Quarterly, was twice named Publisher of the Year by Music Business Worldwide’s The A&R Awards and won Independent Publisher of the Year at the 2020 and 2022 Music Week Awards.
Reservoir also represents a multitude of recorded music through Chrysalis Records, Tommy Boy Records, and Philly Groove Records and manages artists through its ventures with Blue Raincoat Music and Big Life Management.
Photo by: Ross Halfin
