Sharon Summerall: Truth About Don Henley’s Wife

Sharon Summerall is the wife of Don Henley, the American singer-songwriter and ‘Eagles’ founding member, drummer, and lead vocalist. Having been married for over twenty years, the couple still continue their marital life with outstanding zeal and understanding.

When Sharon Summerall and her husband of over two decades met in the early 1990s, it was a tale of love and adventure for both of them. For Don Henley, it was the dawn of hope following multiple heartbreaks and reversals that almost crippled his career. Little wonder the Grammy-winning musician wrote the song Everything Is Different Now for his wife.

For Summerall, having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis only days before they met, love couldn’t have come at a better time. Fans are now asking how the celebrity couple have been able to pull things together for almost three decades now. Let’s walk you through.

Who is Sharon Summerall?

Sharon Summerall is Don Henley’s wife who was born in Texas, United States. Although not much is known about her childhood, early education and family, we know she spent her early days in her place of birth and her father was a farmworker.

Summerall began her modeling career in the early 1980s and her big break came in 1985 when she started working with top-notch modeling outfits (in Paris and Chicago, Illinois) such as Eva models and Elite. As a young model, she had lots of productive years ahead of her, but tragedy struck in the early ’90s when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

For that singular reason, she was left with no other choice than to apply brake on her career until further notice. Over the years, not much has been known about what Summerall does for a living except that we’ve been able to see her as a supportive wife to her husband and his successful musical career.

Her Relationship with Her Husband, Don Henley

How Sharon Summerall Became Don Henley’s wife

Sharon Summerall and her husband, Don Henley, met each other at important crossroads in their lives. It was 1994, and Summerall’s discovery of her medical condition had put her career and other life prospects on hold. It wasn’t a death sentence per se but it wasn’t an ailment that a modeling career could manage.

So, when she found love in the arms of the musician back then, it was more than a hookup, it was a life-defining decision for the young beauty. For Don Henley, multiple breakups and heartbreaks had left the musician scarred.

More so, the aftershock of his alleged scandal with a naked minor found in his home was still fresh. Henley was charged and subsequently fined before he was put on probation. That was in 1980.

Although the incident was long gone, the failed relationships was another axe to grind. Before meeting Summerall, Henley had dated and broken up with some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, including Lois Chiles. His first fling was with Loree Rodkin back in 1974.

By late 1975, Henley was already in an on and off relationship with Stevie Nicks, the Fleetwood Mac singer. They, however, went their separate ways in 1977. In all of these, Henley maintained that he didn’t want marriage but someone he could love for real.

In the early 1980s, Henley dated and even got engaged to Battlestar Galactica actress Maren Jensen. However, it was a near miss as the engagement was called off in 1986. Put together, these experiences had left Don Henley scarred and lovesick until he found what he called “True Love” in 1993.

Although it is not clear where and how they met, it’s likely that the couple met at a social event. They were both celebrities at the time, with Summerall being the more popular one. It was love at first sight. At least for Henley. After dating for two years, they took things a notch higher with an engagement. Months later, they exchanged vows on 20th May 1995, in a star-studded ceremony.

Some of the big names in attendance include Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, Sting, Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey, Tony Bennett and Sheryl Crow. Enthralled by his new-found love, Henley later wrote the song “Everything Is Different Now” in his 2000 album Inside Job. The song was dedicated to his wife Sharon Summerall.

Their Marriage Has Lasted For A Long Time

2025 would make it thirty whopping years since they’ve been married and that, in this age, is a long time to stay married. We believe the two have found a way around their differences and most importantly, they are ever more resolved to fight for their marriage and not let anything get in the way.

While Summerall serves as a home keeper, her husband goes out there to rock the world with his music and return with huge benefits. Little wonder he’s been ranked the fourth wealthiest drummer in the US. The couple admits that mutual understanding has kept them through the thick and thin of marriage and they have learned to forgive each other readily.

Who are Sharon Summerall and Don Henley’s Children?

Summerall and Henley have three children. Their oldest daughter, Annabel, was born on December 17, 1995. The couple later had another daughter, Julia, and then a son, Will. In an interview, Henley said that he and Summerall wanted their children to grow as normal kids.

Thus, they moved away from Hollywood and relocated west to Dallas, Texas, where they raised their family. The couple seems to put a high premium on the training of their children. According to Henley, they all attended elementary school just twenty minutes from home and to keep things in check, he even served on the school board back then.

While some may see that as a shade of helicopter parenting, Henley and his wife are intentional about raising well-rounded adults. As of the time of this writing, they still live in Texas though Henley has another property in Hollywood, California.

Sharon Summerall’s Struggle with Multiple Sclerosis: The Journey so Far

Back in the early 1990s, Sharon Summerall first discovered that the complications she was having turned are the earliest signs of multiple sclerosis, a condition affecting the central nervous system. It causes disruptions in the flow of information within the human brain, and between the brain and the body.

The root cause of the disease is still unknown but studies show that it could be a mix of genetic and environmental factors at play.

Patients should expect slight symptoms such as blurry vision or more severe cases of walking difficulties. However, the severity of the condition depends on the nerves that have been affected and the level of damage on those nerves.

So far, there’s no medical cure for the condition except treatments that can help manage the symptoms and curb attacks and that is what Sharon Summerall has been doing for the last two decades.

According to the former model, she has good weeks, bad weeks and really bad weeks. But the support of her family has made it all bearable.