Don Felder earned his first Eagles songwriting credits on the album “Hotel California.” He co-wrote the title track with Don Henley and Glenn Frey, and also received credit on “Victim of Love.”
Felder joined the Eagles in 1974, after the release of the band’s first three albums. Although he was already an accomplished guitarist, his early role was primarily instrumental and performance-focused. “Hotel California” gave him a much larger creative contribution as the group moved toward a harder rock sound.
The title song began with Felder’s chord progression and instrumental demo. Henley and Frey later developed the lyrics and overall concept, turning Felder’s musical idea into one of the band’s signature recordings. A common mix-up is Joe Walsh, who joined the Eagles before the album and co-wrote “Pretty Maids All in a Row,” but Felder was the member whose songwriting debut the question refers to.