Full Name: Joseph Fidler Walsh
Net Worth: Roughly $75 million
Born: November 20, 1947
Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas, USA
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.79 m)
Best Known For: The Eagles, the James Gang, “Life’s Been Good”
Spouse: Marjorie Bach (married since 2008)
Children: 3 (including musician/actress Lucy Walsh)
Joe Walsh was born into music—and a little chaos. Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1947, he lost his biological father, a flight instructor, in a tragic plane crash when he was just a baby. His mom, Helen, a classically trained pianist, filled their home with music. That stuck.
Joe bounced around growing up—Ohio, Chicago, New York—and by 10, he had a guitar in hand. He could already play "Walk Don’t Run" by The Ventures. Later, in Montclair, New Jersey, he played oboe in his high school band. Yes, oboe.
He studied English at Kent State, minored in music, and was there the day of the 1970 Kent State shootings. That moment stuck with him—and pushed him away from college and straight into rock ‘n’ roll.
Eagles' Joe Walsh
Joe’s first big break came when he joined the Cleveland-based James Gang in 1968. He didn’t know it then, but the band’s sudden shift to a trio would make him a star. He had to do it all—rhythm, lead, vocals—and somehow made it look easy.
“Funk #49” and “Walk Away” didn’t just rock—they ripped. His playing caught the ears of gods like Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. That’s not hype. Clapton once said, “I don’t listen to many records, but I listen to his.”
Still, by 1971, Walsh was itching for change. Creative limits were closing in. He walked.
James Gang - Yer' Album (1969)
Joe bolted to the Colorado Rockies and formed Barnstorm. Picture this: a mountain town, a new studio (Caribou Ranch), and a guy figuring it all out with his guitar. That first album? Kind of a hidden gem. But the second? The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get—and boom, “Rocky Mountain Way” exploded.
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By 1974, he was back in LA, hanging with Glenn Frey, Jackson Browne, and Dan Fogelberg, crafting songs and raising hell. He dropped So What and the live album You Can’t Argue with a Sick Mind. The man had found his groove—and his audience.
Barnstorm & Joe Walsh
In 1975, Joe joined the Eagles. Just in time, too—Hotel California was on the horizon. He brought a rock edge that punched up the band’s soft-country vibe. And it worked. His riff on “Life in the Fast Lane”? Born during a Corvette ride with a drug dealer. No joke.
“The next thing I know, we’re doing 90. I say, ‘Hey man!’ He goes, ‘Life in the fast lane!’ And I thought—now there’s a song title.”
Walsh and Don Felder built those iconic twin solos on Hotel California in a jam session, bouncing off each other like jazz musicians. Pure instinct.
The album sold over 30 million copies. And while fans were loving the sound, things behind the scenes weren’t exactly peaceful. Tensions brewed. Songs sparked turf wars. By the time The Long Run came out in 1979, the fuse was lit. The Eagles called it quits in 1980.
Joe Walsh and The Eagles
Joe didn’t stop. Not even close.
He dropped There Goes the Neighborhood in 1981, including “A Life of Illusion,” and kept rolling through the '80s with albums like You Bought It – You Name It and The Confessor. But the decade wasn’t all guitar solos and studio time. His addictions were catching up.
Even through the fog, he kept playing—solo tours, All-Starr Band gigs with Ringo Starr, and a string of collaborations that spanned from the Beach Boys to Michael McDonald.
By 1994, the Eagles were ready for a comeback. Hell Freezes Over sold out stadiums. Joe had been sober since 1995, and for the first time in a long time, things felt steady.
Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Joe Walsh
In 2012, Joe released Analog Man, his first solo album in two decades. He played the Grammys with Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. He showed up on the Foo Fighters’ Sonic Highways. He was everywhere.
Then in 2017, he launched VetsAid, a nonprofit and annual concert to support U.S. veterans. The cause is personal—Joe’s a Gold Star family member—and as of now, the initiative has raised over $1.15 million.
You might’ve caught Joe in The Blues Brothers, RoboCop, MADtv, The Drew Carey Show, or The Voice. He even ran a fake presidential campaign in 1980, promising free gas for everyone. Not a bad platform.
And yes, he’s joked about running for Congress for real. Honestly, who wouldn’t vote for him?
Joe has been married five times. His current wife, Marjorie Bach, is the sister of Barbara Bach—Ringo Starr’s wife. They married in 2008.
He has three daughters. His eldest, Emma Kristen, was tragically killed in a car accident at age three. It’s something he’s never forgotten. His daughter Lucy is a musician and actress. Another daughter, Alden, lives a more private life.
Walsh has been clean since 1995. He’s spoken about it openly, and it’s a big part of who he is now.
Joe Walsh and Marjorie Bach
Joe Walsh now calls Sherman Oaks home—a quiet corner of Los Angeles where, in 2023, he picked up a cozy-yet-classy bungalow for just over $2.3 million. It’s not huge by rock star standards (about 2,400 square feet), but it’s got the goods: a pool, home theater, three bedrooms, and even a tucked-away vegetable garden.
Joe Walsh's California Bungalow
That last part? Pure California. Over the years, Walsh has bounced between some seriously prime real estate—he once owned a 20-acre spread in the Beverly Hills Post Office area, grabbed in 2008 for $4.5 million. Before that, he spent decades in a Studio City place he eventually sold in 2018. Oh, and let’s not forget the Montecito farmhouse, which hit the market later for $7.65 million. If nothing else, the man knows how to live well—and live privately.
Beverly Hills Post Office estate: 20 acres, bought in 2008 for $4.5 million
Studio City home: longtime residence, sold in 2018 for $1.9 million
Beverly Hills hills property: purchased in 2013 for $3.95 million, listed later at $5.3 million
Sherman Oaks bungalow: snapped up in 2023 for $2.345 million—includes a hidden garden and home theater
Joe Walsh's former home - the Beverly Hills Post Office villa
1971 Asylum Records deal: 9% royalty rate (pretty typical back then)
2007 Wal-Mart exclusive: Long Road Out of Eden—backed by a $40 million campaign
2023 publishing deal: Signed with Reservoir Media for full catalog management; no public figure, but comparable deals hit $100M
When Hotel California hit shelves in 1976, no one could’ve predicted just how massive it would become. The album has since sold more than 42 million copies worldwide, including 26 million in the U.S. alone, putting it among the top three best-selling albums in American history. If you do the math—using a rough average of $10 per album—that’s somewhere in the ballpark of $420 million in physical sales.
And that’s just the base figure. Add in decades of digital downloads, constant streaming revenue, and all the times it’s been used in movies or TV, and you're easily looking at over half a billion dollars in lifetime revenue. Not bad for a record born in the hazy chaos of 1970s L.A.
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Joe collects vintage cars. He flies his own planes. He messes with audio gear for fun. His lifestyle screams "legend," but these days, it’s less about partying and more about legacy—and peace.
Joe Walsh's powerful Ford Mustang: supercharged V8 engine and 500 horsepower
Joe Walsh's Favorite Ever Car. Joe owned the 1962 Maserati 5000GT. Only 34 units were ever built.
For someone who's spent more than 50 years in the spotlight—and in a band as famously dramatic as the Eagles—Joe Walsh has kept a pretty low profile when it comes to legal trouble.
One of the few times his name popped up in legal headlines was back in 2010, when his team sent a cease-and-desist letter to a politician (also named Joe Walsh) who had used the song “Walk Away” in a campaign ad without permission. It wasn’t a nasty lawsuit—more of a cheeky reminder not to mess with copyright, even if you share a name.
He also found himself on the periphery of a legal mess in 2001 when fellow Eagle Don Felder sued Don Henley and Glenn Frey, claiming they pushed him out of the band unfairly. That fight played out behind the scenes and was eventually settled out of court. For a guy who's lived through rock’s wildest decades, Walsh’s rap sheet is practically spotless.
🎸 Ranked #54 in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists
🏆 5-time Grammy winner
🎼 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (1998)
🎶 "Hotel California" solo voted best of all time by Guitarist magazine
👏 Admired by Clapton, Page, Townshend—basically the guitar gods
What did Joe Walsh do with the Eagles?
He joined in 1975, pushed them toward a rockier sound, and helped make Hotel California legendary.
Why did Joe Walsh quit the Eagles?
He didn’t. The band broke up in 1980, came back in 1994—and he’s been part of every phase since.
What year did Joe Walsh come out?
He first hit national fame in 1969 with the James Gang, and then solo in 1972.
What happened to Joe Walsh's daughter Emma?
Emma Kristen died in a tragic car accident at age 3. It changed Joe forever.
Joe Walsh isn’t just a rock star. He’s a survivor, a comedian, a craftsman, a father, and an icon who somehow keeps finding new ways to stay relevant. Maybe it’s the music. Maybe it’s the soul. Either way, he's not done yet—and thank God for that.
