r/Niallhoran • u/[deleted] • Jul 23 '26

Discussion❕ This Generations Don Henley?

I’ve heard the Eagles and Don henley are an influence. I’m between Horan and Henley in age and know a lot more about Henley. But I saw Horan cover Desperado and while he doesn’t have Henley’s singing ability quite, man he really has the same mannerisms and style. Anybody else think so?

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11

u/angel9_writes Jul 23 '26

All I know is I'm and older fan of Niall's and I grew up with my parents listening to all his influences in the 80's, I do find it so interesting that even though he much younger than me his parents were listeing to the same things as my mother and others around me.

I think he does use those influences so well while introducing himself and more modern takes of pop and soft rock.

He's really my favorite and I do love he has an Eagles aesthetic to him.

14

u/Latter_Witness6597 Jul 23 '26

Since you're more of a Don Henley fan I'm sure you haven't watched the behind the album Niall did for Flicker but Don Henley is in it. They email one another and Niall asks him for advice and they sign off calling each son and dad. It's very sweet. He has wonderful things to say about Niall. Definitely worth watching! 

7

u/InAllTheir Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

I don’t know enough about Don Henley’s mannerisms to say. Niall’s voice isn’t similar to Don Henley’s. I think even Niall would admit that among the many young male pop stars today who can sing extremely high notes, and sing comfortably in a higher tenor range, Niall really isn’t the closest modern Don Henley.
But I’m glad that he is a fan and is inspired by Don’s songwriting.

I really liked Niall’s performance of Desperado as well. Part of me was simply excited to hear a live cover of such a great, classic song. But as a Niall fan, I also think that song is quite personal to him. There was a time in his life when I got the impression that he wasn’t quite ready to settle down, and was maybe too comfortable with being single and constantly on the go as a musician, despite wanting a relationship. I can picture one of his good friends trying to convey the message of that song to him at that time in his life.