Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and GRAMMY Award winner Bernie Leadon—best known as a founding member of the Eagles—returns with his first new album in more than twenty years. Too Late To Be Cool is available now at bernieleadon.ai.
With lyrics written by Leadon and production from his longtime collaborator and friend Glyn Johns, the album captures lessons learned and memories made across a remarkable musical life. Recorded live to analog tape with studio musicians Tony Harrell (keys), Greg Morrow (drums), and Glenn Worf (bass), the project has already drawn early acclaim.
“Too Late to Be Cool showcases Bernie Leadon’s wide-ranging instrumental talents and his canny lyrical insights into human nature in his songwriting. It’s good to have Leadon back.” — Henry Carrigan, No Depression
“Too Late to Be Cool works in the now-timeless musical palettes that have defined Leadon—and, in no small way, the wider Americana movement.” — Nick DeRiso, Ultimate Classic Rock
The country-rock originator announced the album this summer, marking his first since 2004’s Mirror. Since then, Leadon has returned to the stage, headlining AMERICANAFEST and appearing at the Country Music Hall of Fame. He also recently signed a long-term worldwide publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music, reaffirming his deep connection to the craft of songwriting.
Leadon’s early career with the Flying Burrito Brothers and Dillard & Clark positioned him at the forefront of country-rock’s emergence. As a co-founder of the Eagles alongside Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Randy Meisner, Leadon helped forge one of the most influential sounds in modern music. His instrumental versatility and harmony vocals defined the band’s early era across Eagles, Desperado, and One of These Nights, including co-writing the enduring classic “Witchy Woman.” His work remains immortalized on Eagles: Greatest Hits 1971–1975, the best-selling album in U.S. history.
After stepping away from the band in 1975, Leadon became one of the most respected collaborators in American music, recording with Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Stephen Stills, and Alabama. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Eagles in 1998, Leadon has long been celebrated as a musician’s musician—a craftsman who values authenticity over artifice.
Now, with Too Late To Be Cool, Leadon proves that timeless songwriting and true musicianship never fade.
Track List – Too Late To Be Cool
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Zero Sum Game
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Telescope
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Just A Little
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Take It As It Comes
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Everyone’s Quirky
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Go On Down to Mobile
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Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool
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Too Late To Be Cool
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Fathom
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Coast Highway
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Too Many Memories
About Bernie Leadon
Bernie Leadon is revered for his instrumental mastery and foundational role in shaping the sound of modern American music. A pioneer of country-rock, his six-decade career spans bluegrass, folk, rock, and Americana. Born in Minneapolis and raised in Gainesville, Florida, Leadon’s early work with Dillard & Clark and The Flying Burrito Brothers helped define the Americana movement.
As a founding member of the Eagles, his contributions on guitar, banjo, mandolin, and harmony vocals were central to the group’s sound. After departing in 1975, Leadon continued a lifelong pursuit of authentic, heartfelt music. With Too Late To Be Cool, tracked live to analog tape with no overdubs or digital corrections, he reaffirms what has always defined his artistry: truth, craftsmanship, and soul.
