Timothy Bruce Schmit (born October 30, 1947) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He has performed as the bassist and vocalist for

Poco In software engineering, a plain old CLR object, or plain old class object (POCO) is a simple object created in the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) that is unencumbered by inheritance or attributes. This is often used in opposition to the comp ...

and the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

, having replaced

Randy Meisner Randall Herman Meisner (March 8, 1946 – July 26, 2023) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and founding member of both Eagles and Poco. Throughout his professional musical career, both as group member and session musician, his main r ...

in both cases. Schmit has also worked for decades as a session musician and solo artist. In 1998, he was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

as a member of the Eagles.

Early life

Schmit was born in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. He was raised in

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, and began playing in the

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

group Tim, Tom & Ron at the age of 15. That group evolved into a surf band called the Contenders, then changed its name to the New Breed (sometimes known simply as "the Breed"). As the New Breed, they had a major local hit in Sacramento: the

Animals Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, have myocytes and are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a ...

-inspired "Green Eyed Woman," which was released in 1965 and hit No. 1 on local top-40 outlet KXOA. (The track also charted on isolated stations in Virginia and Indiana.) A few more local-only hits followed, before the group changed its name once again to Glad. The group recorded the album ''Feelin' Glad'' in 1968.

Poco

In 1968, Schmit auditioned for

but was turned down in favor of founding member

. When Meisner quit the band in 1969, Schmit replaced him on bass and vocals. He appeared on nine of Poco's studio albums and two live albums between 1969 and 1977, composing numerous songs. He wrote and was the lead singer on the song "Keep on Tryin'," Poco's biggest hit single to that point, peaking at No. 50 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1975. Apart from Poco, Schmit also contributed backup vocals to

Firefall Firefall is an American soft rock band that formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974. It was founded by Rick Roberts (musician), Rick Roberts, former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jock Bartley, who had been Tommy Bolin's replacement ...

's 1977 hit, "

Just Remember I Love You "Just Remember I Love You" is a song by American rock band Firefall from their album, '' Luna Sea'' (1977), with backing vocals by Timothy B. Schmit. It was written by Rick Roberts and released as a single on July 21, 1977. "Just Remember I Lov ...

." Schmit sang backing vocals on the

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

albums ''

Pretzel Logic ''Pretzel Logic'' is the third studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released on February 20, 1974, by ABC Records. It was recorded at the Village Recorder in West Los Angeles, California, with producer Gary Katz. The album was Steely ...

,'' ''

The Royal Scam ''The Royal Scam'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released in May 1976, by ABC Records; reissues have been released by MCA Records since ABC's acquisition by the former in 1979. Like all of the band's previous albums, ...

'' and '' Aja.'' Schmit also sang backing vocals on "

Never Let Her Slip Away "Never Let Her Slip Away" is a song written by American musician Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, ''All This and Heaven Too (album), All This and Heaven Too'' (1978). The single reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and nu ...

", a top 5 UK hit for

Andrew Gold Andrew Maurice Gold (August 2, 1951 – June 3, 2011) was an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who influenced much of the Los Angeles-dominated pop rock, pop/soft rock sound in the 1970s. Gold performed on s ...

in 1978, along with Brock Walsh,

JD Souther John David Souther (November 2, 1945 – September 17, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was "a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a major influence on a generation of songwriters". Souther wrote and ...

and an uncredited

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...

. In 1974, Schmit played bass alongside

Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he was the co-lead singer and frontman, roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley, with ...

and

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician who is a founding member of the rock band the Eagles, for whom he is the drummer and co-lead vocalist, as well as its sole continuous member. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles ...

on the song "

You Can Close Your Eyes "You Can Close Your Eyes" is a song written by James Taylor which was released on his 1971 album ''Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon''. It was also released as the B-side to his #1 single "You've Got a Friend". It has often been described as a l ...

" featured on

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

's album ''

Heart Like a Wheel ''Heart Like a Wheel'' is the fifth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt, released in November 1974. It was Ronstadt's last album to be released by Capitol Records. At the time of its recording, Ronstadt had already moved to Asylum Records and re ...

''.

Eagles

In 1977, Schmit joined the

after the ''

Hotel California "Hotel California" is a song by American rock band the Eagles, released as the second single of their album of the same name on February 22, 1977. The song was written by Don Felder (music), Don Henley, and Glenn Frey (lyrics), featuring H ...

'' tour, replacing Randy Meisner on bass/vocals, as he had done in Poco, after Meisner quit. Although the Eagles are thought of as a quintessential California band, Schmit is the only member of the group who is actually a native of California. On their 1979 album, '' The Long Run'', Schmit co-wrote and sang lead vocals on the song "

I Can't Tell You Why "I Can't Tell You Why" is a song by the American rock band Eagles that appeared on their 1979 album '' The Long Run''. It was written by band members Timothy B. Schmit, Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Recorded in March 1978, it was the first song ...

". The band later broke up in 1980 and reunited 14 years later, with Schmit singing the lead vocals on "

Love Will Keep Us Alive "Love Will Keep Us Alive" is a song written by Jim Capaldi, Paul Carrack, and Peter Vale and recorded by American rock band the Eagles. It was first performed by the Eagles in 1994, during their ''Hell Freezes Over'' reunion tour, with lead voca ...

" on the reunion album ''

Hell Freezes Over ''Hell Freezes Over'' is the second live album by the Eagles, released in 1994. The album is the first to be released after the Eagles had reformed following a fourteen-year break up. The band's lineup was that of the ''Long Run'' era: Glenn Fr ...

''. In 2007, the Eagles released a new album, ''

Long Road Out of Eden ''Long Road Out of Eden'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band the Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records as their first ever double album. Nearly six years in production, it is the band's first studio album since 1979 ...

''. Schmit continued to be part of the Eagles lineup along with Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles (band), Eagles, his five-decade career includes solo work and stints in other ...

until Frey's death in 2016 and is in the current Eagles touring lineup featuring

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...

Career after Eagles and Poco

After the Eagles broke up in 1980, Schmit embarked on a solo career, singing vocals and playing bass for hire during studio sessions. His voice can be heard on many hits, including Bob Seger's " Fire Lake" and Boz Scaggs' "

Look What You've Done to Me "Look What You've Done to Me" is a song recorded by Boz Scaggs for the film ''Urban Cowboy''. It was written by Scaggs and David Foster, and produced by Foster and Bill Schnee. The song reached No. 14 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in Novemb ...

" (each with Frey and Henley), Don Felder's " Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)" (with Henley), and Crosby, Stills and Nash's "

Southern Cross CRUX is a lightweight x86-64 Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users and delivered by a tar.gz-based package system with BSD-style initscripts. It is not based on any other Linux distribution. It also utilizes a ports system to ...

" and " Wasted on the Way", where he sang harmony. He was also a background musician on two of Don Henley's hit songs, " Dirty Laundry" and "You Don't Know Me at All". He sang a cover of

The Tymes The Tymes are an American soul vocal group who enjoyed equal success in the United Kingdom and in their homeland. They are one of the few acts to have one and only one chart-topper in both the US and UK with different songs. Early career The g ...

' "

So Much in Love "So Much in Love" is a song written by George Williams, Billy Jackson, and Roy Straigis (initially under the name John Joseph). It was originally performed by Williams's American soul vocal group the Tymes and was released in the summer of 196 ...

" on the soundtrack to the film "

Fast Times at Ridgemont High ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Stor ...

." Schmidt is the noteworthy soaring high- register voice at the end of Toto's

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

hit recording. Schmit teamed with his predecessor in both Poco and the Eagles, Randy Meisner, along with their mutual Eagles bandmate Joe Walsh, to provide background vocals to the

Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Marx's first number one success as a songwriter came in 1984 with " What About Me?", which was recorded by Kenny Rogers ...

1987 hit "

Don't Mean Nothing "Don't Mean Nothing" is the debut single by singer/songwriter/producer Richard Marx from his triple platinum 1987 eponymous album. It hit No. 1 on ''Billboard''s Album Rock Tracks chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100. With the chart success of "Don't M ...

". Schmit also performed on the Toto 1983 hit singles "

I Won't Hold You Back "I Won't Hold You Back" is a song by American rock band Toto, written and sung by Steve Lukather for their fourth album, ''Toto IV'', released in 1982 (see 1982 in music). The song features the Eagles' bassist Timothy B. Schmit on backing voc ...

" and "

", and the

Jars of Clay Jars of Clay is a Christian alternative rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The members met at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois.Jars of Clay. (2005). Making the GradeiTunes Originals - Jars of Clay. AC Audio Essential Records. The ...

song "Everything in Between". He also played on the 1983

Glenn Shorrock Glenn Barrie Shorrock (born 30 June 1944) is an Australian singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of rock bands the Twilights, Axiom, Little River Band and post LRB spin-off trio Birtles Shorrock Goble, as well as being a solo perfo ...

solo album. He sang harmony and backing vocals on

Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist widely known for his 1970s and 1980s soft rock hits, including " Longer" (1979), " Same Old Lang Syne" (1981), and " ...

's 1984 project '' Windows and Walls''. In 1991 Schmit covered the standard "

I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin. The song was written for the 1934 film ''Dames (film), Dames'', in which it was performed by Dick Powell. Several other successful recordings of the song were m ...

" for the soundtrack of the film ''

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead ''Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead'' is a 1991 American coming-of-age dark comedy film directed by Stephen Herek, written by Neil Landau and Tara Ison, and starring Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, Keith Coogan, John Getz, and Josh Ch ...

''. In 1988 he added background vocals to

Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress who achieved recognition in an episode of the reality television series ''The Big Time (TV series), The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to gain a ...

's album ''The Lover in Me'' and in 1989 Schmit added background vocals on the

Stacey Q Stacey Lynn Swain (born November 30, 1958), known by her stage name Stacey Q, is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. Her best-known single, " Two of Hearts", released in 1986, reached number one in Canada, number three on t ...

single, "Heartbeat", which was featured on her '' Nights Like This'' album. He also sang background vocals on the

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

album ''

Alibi An alibi (, from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person under suspicion in a crime that they were in a different place when the offence was committed. During a police investigation, all suspects are usually a ...

''. Schmit toured with Toto in 1982 and with

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...

in 1983, 1984, and 1985 as a member of the

Coral Reefer Band The Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett (until Buffett's death in September 2023). The band's name alludes to both coral reefs (in line with Buffett's tropical-themed music) and "reefe ...

and coined the term " Parrotheads" to describe Buffett's fans. He was a member of

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band is a live rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup founded in 1989 with shifting personnel, led by former The Beatles, Beatles drummer and vocalist Ringo Starr. History and description Since 1989, Starr ...

in 1992. In 1993, he contributed background vocals to several tracks on

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles ...

's '' No Time to Kill'' CD including the title cut. In 1995, Schmit sang the song "How Far I'll Fly" for the ending credits to the Australian movie ''

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

''. In 1996, he sang on a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

' song "

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" on their album ''

Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 ''Stars and Stripes Vol. 1'' is the twenty-eighth studio album by American Rock music, rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 19, 1996, by River North Records. Produced by Joe Thomas (producer), Joe Thomas and Brian Wilson, ''Stars and Str ...

'', with the Beach Boys themselves contributing harmonies. In 2000, he toured with Dan Fogelberg; recordings from that tour became a live album, ''Dan Fogelberg Live''. Schmit sang harmony on the title track of

Katy Rose Kathryn Rosemary Bullard (born January 27, 1987), known professionally as Katy Rose, is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Rose released two studio albums, ''Because I Can (Katy Rose album), Because I Can'' (V2 Records) and ''Candy Eyed' ...

's debut album, '' Because I Can'', produced by fellow Poco alumnus and Katy's father,

Kim Bullard Kim Bullard (born May 6, 1955) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, record producer, and film composer. He has been making music since the 1970s and has performed extensively as a keyboard player with musical acts such as Elton John and Crosb ...

. Schmit's fifth studio album, ''

Expando ''Expando'' is the fifth studio album released by American musician Timothy B. Schmit. The album was released on October 20, 2009 on Lost Highway Records. It is Schmit's first studio album since 2001's '' Feed the Fire''. Schmit wrote all the ...

'', was released in October 2009. In May 2012, Schmit was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

. His sixth studio album ''Leap of Faith'' was released on September 23, 2016, the first release of an Eagles member since the death of bandmate Glenn Frey in January 2016. His seventh studio album ''Day by Day'' was released on May 6, 2022.

Personal life

Schmit has three children: a daughter by his first wife and a daughter and son by his present wife. He was successfully treated for throat and neck cancer in late 2012.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schmit, Timothy B. 1947 births 20th-century American guitarists American country bass guitarists American country rock singers American country singer-songwriters American male bass guitarists American male singer-songwriters American rock bass guitarists American rock singers American session musicians Coral Reefer Band members Eagles (band) members Guitarists from California Kennedy Center honorees Living people Lost Highway Records artists MCA Records artists Musicians from Oakland, California Poco members Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band members Singer-songwriters from California Universal Records artists