Live With Danny Kortchmar - Don Henley, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt

Live With Danny Kortchmar - Don Henley, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt

From Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

February 19, 2026 · 1h 5m

About this episode

Danny Kortchmar shares stories about his collaborations with iconic artists and his personal journey through loss and new beginnings in music.

Live With Danny Kortchmar - Don Henley, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt Kootch tells the story of how his and Don Henley’s monster hit, Dirty Laundry was born, how his and Jackson Browne’s, Somebody’s Baby was birthed, and how Running On Empty was recorded Live. This legendary guitar hero, songwriter, and producer, who’s been integral to more hits with more iconic artists than just about anyone I can think of, shared about all of them… James (or Jamie as he calls him), Taylor, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, the aforementioned Don Henley, and Jackson Browne. Kootch talked about his first producing gig - Louise Goffin, and the killer band he put together for her, which included Steve Lukather and Kenny Aaronoff, saying he learned from observing Peter Asher, who produced so many of the albums Kootch played on. He talked about producing Jon Bon Jovi, Toto, and Billy Joel, and the controversy that surrounded that gig. We got a few of his favorite memories through the years, and his shattering heartbreak, losing Lisa Roy, the love of his life, the sad for fans, and the boys themselves, seeming end of his dream band, The Immediate Family, both leading to his…

People in this episode

Host: Vicki Abelson

Guest: Danny Kortchmar

Topics covered

  • music production
  • songwriting
  • personal stories
  • iconic artists
  • band dynamics
  • loss and recovery

Keywords

  • Danny Kortchmar
  • Don Henley
  • James Taylor
  • Jackson Browne
  • music production
  • The Immediate Family
  • The Back Burners
  • songwriting
  • personal stories

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Immediate Family, The Back Burners

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