Don Felder, whose career began in the mid-1960s, is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and composer from Gainesville, Florida. He gained fame as the lead guitarist for The Eagles from 1974 to 2001, renowned for his melodic solos and genre-defining contributions—most notably co-writing “Hotel California.”

He officially joined The Eagles in early 1974 after contributing slide guitar on On the Border and became part of the band’s move toward arena-ready rock. His guitar interplay with Joe Walsh was central to the band’s sound during an era that produced iconic albums like One of These Nights and Hotel California.