Joe Walsh has recalled the two false starts to his musical career as he flirted with clarinet and oboe in his schooldays.
The Eagles man admits he finally turned to guitar in a bid to “get the girls” – but things could have been very different if he’d stayed in the woodwind section in order to keep his parents happy.
Joe tells Off The Record: “I started out on one of those awful old metal clarinets that the public school would provide for you. The mouthpiece smelled horrible and it squeezed and upset your pets.
“Then I decided that I would play oboe. I wanted to play oboe because the whole orchestra tunes up to the oboe, because the double reed is the purest wave form. Except at some point I discovered that, ‘Joe, you’re not gonna get any girls playing oboe.’
“I decided I would do guitar. My parents hated that I wanted to play guitar and stop oboe. I never got any girls playing guitar either – but I had a darned good time, I tell you.”
Walsh was recently confirmed as a contributor to former Beatle Ringo Starr’s next album, along with Steve Lukather and others. The Eagles return to the UK in June, with Glenn Frey having noted: “I don’t want to say this is our last tour, but it very well could be.”
Eagles UK tour 2014
May 28: Birmingham LG Arena
May 29: Birmingham LG Arena
May 31: Glasgow Hydro
Jun 02: Glasgow Hydro
Jun 04: Dublin O2
Jun 06: Dublin O2
Jun 07: Dublin O2
Jun 16: London O2
Jun 18: London O2
Jun 20: London O2
Jun 21: London O2
Jun 23: Leeds First Direct Arena
Jun 25: Manchester Phones 4u Arena
Jun 26: Liverpool Echo Arena
