Will Hollis is the long-time music director and keyboardist for the Eagles, as well as music director and arranger for national tours with Shania Twain, Gwen Stefani, “America’s Got Talent,” and “Dancing with the Stars.”
He graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School, where he played leads in the school musicals Fiddler on the Roof and Shenandoah and performed with local rock bands. He studied classical piano from an early age through private lessons and with the late Blair Cosman at the Eastman Preparatory Music Department (now Eastman Community Music School). Hollis earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Allegheny College, playing in rock bands and jazz-fusion bands during his college years.
After living and working for several years in Boston, Hollis moved to Los Angeles to focus on a career in music. He made connections through his songwriting and recording while working with like-minded L.A.-based artists and musicians. He won an audition to back Leonard Cohen’s son, Adam Cohen, on keys for a Columbia Records’ recording and joined Adam on his national tour. Hollis also toured with Bijou Phillips and Meredith Brooks and performed with Josh Clayton-Felt’s alternative rock band School of Fish and Randy Colman’s band Zoo Story.
These connections led to an audition and eventually being hired as music director for Don Henley’s solo band in 1999 — a process that originally took nine call-back auditions and weeks of not sleeping so Hollis could practice and enhance his craft to land the job. He was then invited by Henley to join the Eagles on keyboard and vocals in 2001 and ultimately music director as well.
When not on tour or putting shows together, Hollis mixes, produces, and records independent recording artists at his studio in Los Angeles.