The Eagles formed in 1971 in Los Angeles, having chart-topping singles, record-breaking music, and albums that charted on Billboard’s charts, making them the most famous groups in North America. Winning 6 Grammys makes them the most legendary rock band in the world.
They charmed the world with their country rock and white sensibility. They broke up when two members broke into a fistfight after a concert. Randy Meisner died at age 77 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
All You Need to Know About the Eagles History
Bernie Leadon, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Randy Meisner were the founding members who put together a group by Linda Ronstadt. The current members of the band are Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, and Vince Gill. Meisner died in July 2023 at the age of 77.
They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Eagles have mesmerized listeners with Hotel California, Tequila Sunrise, Lyin’ Eyes, and Desperado, which are quite realistically sensual songs that one can picture and feel.
The rock band Eagles (Credits: Britannica)
They are the highest-selling American band in U.S. history. Lyin’ Eyes was a song that won a Grammy, and Hotel California is a song with powerful lyrics about declining Southern California lifestyles. The group is about rock instrumentation, strong vocals, and capturing lyrics.
Signed to Asylum Records, the band recorded their first album in London, and even Desperado, an iconic song, was also created in London itself. In 1977, they toured Europe, the United States, and Great Britain. Don Henley and Glenn Frey were the important songwriters of the Eagles.
Don Henley was the most commercially and musically accomplished member of the group. It was not just the founding members but also the significant disputes that formed the band’s history. It was the Joe Walsh, Bernie Leadon, Don Felder, Glenn Frey, and Randy Meisner Issue.
The Big Don Felder Drama
Donald William Felder was born on September 21, 1974, and was the lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 until he called it quits in 2001. He met Bernie Leadon, who became one of the founders of the group Eagles.
He was called by the Eagles for some guitar solos. He was invited to join the group permanently, and soon, the group deviated from country rock to complete rock music.
In February 2001, Felder was fired from the group, and he filed two lawsuits for wrong termination for breach of contract and demanding amends of $50 million. He published the autobiography Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles, recounting his version of the termination in 2001.
He claims to be friends after disbanding with Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon. After the reunion in 1994, Felder would argue for money with Frey and Henley and then be fired in 2001. He was disappointed in Frey and Henley’s dominance in the band, and this was causing major problems in the band behind the scenes.
When he joined the band, he was very much a rock guitarist, which made him make big contributions to the changing directions of the band. Frey and Felder taunted each other with threats before the show in Long Beach, California, on stage in front of the fans.
The fact is equally disturbing that Felder wasn’t a financial partner on equal terms with the band. He sued the members for fiduciary breach and contract breach. His autobiography was stopped from being published by Henley and Frey because it portrayed them as evil, money-thirsty musicians.
