Joe Walsh Left James Gang for Rocky Mountains — and Wrote a Rock Anthem That Changed His Life

When Joe Walsh mowed his lawn in Boulder one fall afternoon in 1971, he wasn’t thinking about rock stardom. He was wondering if he’d made a terrible mistake. After leaving the James Gang — the Cleveland-based band he’d helped turn into a blues-rock powerhouse — Walsh was alone, broke, and questioning everything. Then he looked up. The Rocky Mountains rose in front of him, silent and majestic. He dropped the mower, sprinted inside, and wrote "Rocky Mountain Way" — a song that would become his anthem, his redemption, and the bridge to the Eagles.

The Breaking Point

Walsh didn’t leave the James Gang because he lost his passion. He left because he’d lost his voice. Under management by Mark Barger, the band was stuck in a rigid formula: hit singles, tight arrangements, little room for experimentation. Walsh, a restless innovator, felt like a prisoner in his own band. "I got kind of fed up with feeling sorry for myself," he told Guitar Player. "I wanted to justify and feel good about leaving." The final straw? A 1971 tour where the band’s creative input was routinely overruled. Walsh, already known for his fiery solos and unconventional songwriting, was being asked to play it safe. So he walked. At 23, he packed up and moved to Boulder, Colorado — a place he’d never visited, with no plan, no contract, no safety net.

From Lawn Mower to Legend

The story of "Rocky Mountain Way" is the kind of myth that only rock and roll could birth. As Walsh pushed the mower across his lawn, the weight of his decision pressed on him. He’d left behind a successful band. He’d alienated friends. What if he failed? Then — the mountains. Sunlight hitting granite peaks. The quiet. The scale of nature dwarfing his fears. He ran inside, grabbed a notebook, and scribbled lyrics while the mower kept churning — and, as Walsh later admitted with a chuckle, "took out three rose bushes at Mrs. Henderson’s place." That night, he played the riff on his 1966 Framus Strato Gold Deluxe 12-string. The next day, he called drummer Joe Vitale, bassist Kenny Passarelli, and keyboardist Rocke Grace. They formed Barnstorm. The self-titled 1972 album featured "Rocky Mountain Way" as its centerpiece — a gritty, soulful anthem with a guitar tone that sounded like wind over canyons.

The Eagles Door

Barnstorm didn’t last. By 1975, the band had disbanded. Walsh was adrift again — until fate intervened. The Eagles, then at the peak of their fame, needed a new guitarist. Founding member Bernie Leadon was growing weary of the band’s shift toward polished country-rock. Frontman Glenn Frey remembered Walsh from a 1973 show where he’d opened for them. "We’d put Joe in a road box," Frey later said in the 2013 documentary History of the Eagles. "We’d play Rocky Mountain Way... and I kept thinking: Joe Walsh over Bernie Leadon?" It wasn’t just the song. It was the energy. Walsh brought chaos, grit, and raw talent — the kind that made Eric Clapton stop mid-set in Detroit in 1968, when the James Gang had to improvise a full show after two members quit on the road. "I don’t listen to many records," Clapton told Rolling Stone in 1975. "But I listen to his." Walsh joined the Eagles in 1975. His first studio album with them? Hotel California. His signature riff on the title track? Pure Walsh.

Legacy in Action

Now 77, Walsh is not resting on his laurels — he’s giving back. This December 16–17, he’s auctioning over 800 items from his career — guitars, stage outfits, handwritten lyrics — at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Julien’s Auctions is handling the sale. But here’s the twist: proceeds go to VetsAid, the nonprofit Walsh founded in 2017 to support veterans’ mental health and transition services.

"We collect things," Walsh said in a press release. "I’ve acquired too much. I wanted people to have a chance to get something of mine... and this will help veterans." That’s the same spirit that drove him to write "Rocky Mountain Way" — not for fame, but for survival. And now, decades later, it’s still giving life.

What’s Next?

Walsh won’t be slowing down. On November 15, 2024, he headlines his 9th annual VetsAid concert at the Troubadour, featuring Vince Gill, Susan Tedeschi, and Derek Trucks. The show streams live via Veeps at 7 PM EST.

And the Eagles? They’ve added six new 2025 dates to their residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere, including January 17–18, April 4–5, and October 10–11. Walsh will be there — guitar in hand, still finding new ways to make noise, still making it count.