Eagles Star Walsh Takes It to the Limit
Author: Nui Te Koha
Publication: Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia)
Date: November 16, 2004
Abstract: Joe talks about having ADD and worries that it will interfere with his playing for the taping of the Farewell 1 DVD. Apparently bright lights trigger it. He also says that his alcoholism was in part due to a way to "medicate" the symptoms of his then-undiagnosed ADD.
ROCK god Joe Walsh has revealed he has adult attention deficit disorder.
The Eagles' guitarist, who turns 57 on Saturday, says the condition haunts him on stage.
Walsh is worried about this week's Melbourne shows. They are being taped for a US broadcast, and he's required to be a main focus for more than three hours.
"I am more than nervous because I have a huge spotlight in my face, every song, for the entire show," Walsh says. "I can't play when there is a bright light in my eye. It triggers the attention deficit and I can't play.
"I suppose we'll just see how it goes."
On stage, an hour later, he's clearly in charge.
On Sunday he powered through the horn and harmony collision of In the City, then almost stole the show with focused, intense performances in Life's Been Good, Funk 49 and Rocky Mountain Way.
"(Walsh) has a very interesting world view," singer-guitarist Glenn Frey told the crowd."He will be sharing shards of wisdom throughout the evening."
Walsh's inspirational story is about wisdom gained through age, experience and several downfalls. The Eagles were once a notorious party machine. Walsh says he went the hardest.
Today, Walsh says a big part of his retreat to alcohol was caused by attention deficit disorder (ADD).
"In retrospect, I now see it was something I tried to medicate with alcohol," Walsh says. "That helped me deal with issues. It slowed me down and I could concentrate on things, complete tasks and do one thing at a time.
"But the other problem -- I was rip-roaring drunk all the time. For a while, it worked for me, then I worked for it."
