JD Souther, singer and co-author of Eagles Classics, dies at 78

• Musician John David “JD” Souther has died at the age of 78
• The singer and songwriter has worked with many artists over the years, including the Eagles, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt
• Souther died “peacefully at his home in New Mexico” on Tuesday, September 17, according to a press release provided to PEOPLE.

John David “JD” Souther, known for his collaborations with artists such as the Eagles, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, has died. He was 78 years old.

According to a press release obtained by PEOPLE, Souther died “peacefully at his home in New Mexico” on Tuesday, September 17. A cause of death was not given.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Amarillo, Texas, the musician was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013. He had previously formed a band called Longbranch Pennywhistle with Glenn Frey of the Eagles after the two met in Los Angeles in the late 1960s.

During his long-term partnership with Frey, Souther worked on some of the Eagles' biggest hits, including “Best of My Love,” “James Dean,” “New Kid in Town” and “Doolin-Dalton,” and co-wrote “Heartache Tonight” with Bob Seger, Frey and Don Henley.

Souther's many collaborations over the years included work on Bonnie Raitt's “Run Like a Thief” as well as several songs for his ex Ronstadt, 78, including “Faithless Love” and “White Rhythm and Blues.”

Souther and Ronstadt also teamed up for duets such as “Prisoner in Disguise,” “Sometimes You Can't Win,” and “Hearts Against the Wind,” the latter of which was featured on the soundtrack of the 1980 film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta and Debra Winger. Souther also worked with the 76-year-old Taylor on his 1970 hit “Her Town Too.”

In addition to his collaborations, Souther also pursued a solo career and released songs such as “You're Only Lonely” from the 1979 album of the same name. In the 1970s, he also formed the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with former Byrds member Chris Hillman and Richie Furay of Poco.

Besides music, Souther also played in shows such as Nashville, Mid-thirties And Purgatory, as well as the films Postcards from the edge, My Girl 2 And Deadline.

Rita Wilson was one of those who paid tribute to Souther on social media, sharing a lengthy caption on Instagram along with several snaps of the couple.

“This hurts. My dear friend, songwriter and artist JD Souther has passed away. JD gave us so much with his music,” Wilson's message said, listing some of the musician's hits from the past few years and highlighting his “massive” influence on her.

“I recorded two of his songs for my first album, AM/FM'Faithless Love' (Harmony by Vince Gill) and 'Prisoner in Disguise' which was a bonus track and he sang the harmonies on,” Wilson, 67, continued. “At Joe's Pub @joespub he came in and sang with me at my very first show in NYC.”

“You can imagine how it feels to sing a song he wrote with one of your heroes. One time he came over for dinner before a show in LA and lost his wallet, which prevented him from making it to the show. We ended up finding it the next day. It made for an exciting start to the show though!” she continued, revealing that the last time she saw him was at the Jimmy Buffet tribute concert in April.

“He will be missed greatly. But his music lives on. Rest in peace and music, sweet JD,” Wilson wrote.

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Singer Richard Marx commented on the actress' post, “Damn. What a gift he was. 💔,” and John Stamos added, “Oh man. Sorry Rita.”

Souther “leaves behind his two sisters, his ex-wife and her daughter, his beloved dogs Layla and Bob, and countless friends and colleagues inside and outside the music scene,” a press release said.