Share this site - Email/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

Super Seventies RockSite! presents

 Don Henley & Glenn Frey - In Their Own Words

Blacklight Bar

Don was the serious Eagle and the writer of the group's more intense songs. He provided steady drumming with a husky vocal style and has been brilliant in his solo career as well. A wild personality and a fine vocalist, Glenn was more the pop writer in the Eagles. Between him and Don, they seemed unstoppable.

Don Henleyhe Troubadour was the first place I went to when I got to L.A. I had heard about how legendary it was, and all the people who were performing there. The first night I walked in I saw Graham Nash and Neil Young, and Linda Ronstadt was standing there in a little Daisy Mae kind of dress. She was barefooted and scratching her ass. I thought, "I've made it. I'm here. I'm in heaven."

I really didn't know anybody. I just hung around the Troubadour by myself. It was kind of pathetic, really. But one night Glenn Frey invited me over to his table and bought me a beer. He said, "What's going on?"


The Eagles' Seventies
Billboard Top 40 Singles


"Take It Easy"  6/72  #12
"Witchy Woman"  9/72  #9
"Peaceful Easy Feeling"  2/73  #22
"Already Gone"  6/74  #32
"Best Of My Love"  12/74  #1
"One Of These Nights"  6/75  #1
"Lyin' Eyes"  9/75  #2
"Take It To The Limit"  1/76  #4
"New Kid In Town"  12/76  #1
"Hotel California"  3/77  #1
"Life In The Fast Lane"  5/77  #11
"Please Come Home For Christmas"  12/78  #18
"Heartache Tonight"  10/79  #1
"The Long Run"  10/79  #8

I said, "My group's not doing anything. Things are a drag. One of the guys left to go play with the Burrito Brothers."

And Glenn said, "Me and my partner are breaking up, too. And there's this guy named David Geffen," who I didn't know from Adam, "and there may be a deal in the works if a band could be put together."

I said, "That's nice."

And he said, "In the meantime, do you want to go on the road with Linda Ronstadt and make 200 bucks a week?"

I said, "Sure, fine, I'd love it." I'd never really been on the road before. So Glenn and I became good friends and we started plotting and planning. He told me about Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon, who had been with Poco and the Burritos, respectively. Glenn said we needed to get those guys because they could play the kind of country rock we were all so interested in. So when we got back from being on the road with Linda, we recruited those guys. We didn't all agree on things from the beginning, but we were so enamored of one another that it was OK for a while.

Then Geffen talked Glyn Johns into listening to us. Glyn said that although we needed a lot of work, he'd produce us in London. So they packed us off to England and stuck us in this little apartment, picked us up, took us to the studio, and then we'd go back to this little apartment and drink ourselves to sleep. Then we'd get up the next day and do it all over again.

As we got into making more albums, Glenn and I would go through a series of moving in together and then moving out. We'd have girlfriends and live with them for a while, and then we'd get ready to do an album and we'd move back in together. Dudes on a rampage.

By '76, '77, Glenn and I were living in a big house that belonged to Dorothy Lamour, up in the hills with a 360-degree view. Glenn and I were the odd couple. I was sort of the housekeeper, the tidy one. He was the lovable slob. All around the house he'd leave these little cigarette butts standing on end. They looked like miniature cities. Burns all over the furniture and carpet, coffee cups all over the place. We would get up every Sunday, watch football together, scream and yell, and spill things. It wasn't my house, I didn't care.

Don Henley

"Glenn and I were the odd couple. I was sort of the housekeeper, the tidy one. He was the lovable slob."

During the "One of These Nights"/"Hotel California" period, I lived in Irving Azoff's house on Benedict Canyon, and Glenn lived in Coldwater. I was in an upstairs corner bedroom of Irving's house. This was before Irving was married, and we were bacheloring it pretty good. It was during this time that I had my brief affair with Stevie Nicks. I remember the Eagles were on tour, and so was Fleetwood Mac. These were the extravagant days. One time I chartered a Lear jet and ran her to where I was, and for weeks I got a lot of shit about that from the band. If she had a couple of days off, she'd come over and go on the road with us for a while, and then I'd fly her back in time for wherever Fleetwood Mac was supposed to be. The affair with Stevie lasted off and on for a year or so, and we remain good friends today. But back then we coined the phrase, "Love 'em and Lear 'em."

Hey, Lear jets were a lot cheaper then, and when I speak of sending one for Stevie, that kind of thing did not happen every week. Once in a while we would do something completely over the top like that, and it was simply our way of coping with the absurdity of making so much money and being so famous at such an early age. We had to do absurd things sometimes just to be able to put it all in perspective. We would feel silly about it later, but we would laugh it off because we knew one day it would end. That's what the Desperado album was all about, how you get hung sooner or later, or hang yourself.

As we became more and more successful -- the Eagles, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Linda -- it seemed to take us all away from one another. In a way, success separated all of us. In our hearts we were still good friends and mates and all that, but the salad days were gone. 



Glenn Freyhinking back over the nine-year period of the Eagles, it amazes me how single-minded Henley and I were. We could be in the studio for weeks at a time -- eating and sleeping and breathing what we were doing, the same way a kid who's infected with Little League baseball can't get it out of his system.

The Eagles were propelled by more than just ambition. At times, we were propelled by whatever we could get our hands on. Which means that some of those nine years went by in a blur. But in the beginning, we were the underdogs. That's how we thought of ourselves. We'd always say, "This guy is a better singer. That guy is a better player. These people write better songs than us."

Being around David Geffen, and in close proximity to Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby, Stills and Nash, this unspoken thing was created between Henley and me, which said, "If we want to be up here with the big boys, we'd better get our game together and write some fucking good songs."

We were also like a keg of powder, waiting for someone to come in and light the fuse. We were serious about becoming successful, and we were serious about being taken seriously as songwriters.

The band was like a fake democracy. Henley and I were making the decisions while at the same time trying to pacify, include, and cajole the others. There was always so much turbulence around our band that it made us serious all the time. There was never a day when all five guys felt good. I'd think, "Who is gonna blow it today? Who's gonna want to fire everybody."

I will never have the patience to deal with all those kinds of personalities again, but at the time it was necessary to get to where we had to go, even though we didn't always get along.

You knew it when you were in a room with the Eagles. There was a certain intensity. Perhaps a lot of it was all bluff because we were really just a bunch of skinny little guys with long hair and patched pants and turquoise.

I was never tough, but I sure was mad. I think I was more for entertainment, and I think Henley was more for trying to get more out of your entertainment dollar. But underneath it all, we were best friends. We talked every day for seven or eight years. Every day, like roommates.

Splitting up the Eagles, though, was not because of a rift between Henley and me. There was a rift and that didn't help, but we had come to a point where we were running out of gas artistically. We had gone from being a band that could make an album in three weeks to a band that couldn't finish an album in three years.

In some ways, the success took a lot of the fun out of it. Putting pressure on ourselves also took a lot of the fun out of it. I think Henley took some of the fun out of it for me, and I'm sure I took some of the fun out of it for him. Looking back, I think the band lasted a couple of more years than I thought it would.


The Eagles' Seventies
Billboard Top 10 Albums


One Of These Nights  7/75  #1
Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975  3/76  #1
Hotel California  12/76  #1
The Long Run  10/79  #1

You don't want to be in a band in your thirties anyway. At least I didn't. It's like being a doctor or lawyer. You come out of school with some knowledge and talent and you start working with other people. Then you get your legs underneath you, and when you get to be thirty or so you want to take a shot at having your own practice.


Eagles Lyrics
Eagles Videos

The Eagles had its best chemistry when Don Felder and Joe Walsh were both in the band at the same time. Don and Joe were both tremendously gifted guitar players. Walsh is like an almanac. I could sit down at a piano at any given moment and play every song the Drifters ever recorded. But Joe can do the same thing with Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. I mean, every single blues lick.

But it was rare when everyone in the band got along. We used to joke around and say we were like the Oakland A's -- as long as we got along on the field, it didn't matter what happened behind closed doors.

I really felt that when it came to getting people to play with, you didn't go around picking the nice guys, you found the guys who could play blues and rock 'n' roll, the guys who could take the Eagles up from a country rock band to a serious stadium filler. And it took the combined guitar talents of Joe Walsh and Don Felder to help us achieve that.

Unfortunately, what happens when you really make it is that you begin looking at your career in terms of how each album sold. The next one is always supposed to be bigger than the last, and so on. It's like Dylan said, "They deceived me into thinking I had something to protect."

Someone once asked Bob Seger why the Eagles broke up. He answered them in two words, "'Hotel California,'" because it was impossible to top.

For me, it ended in Long Beach, California, at a benefit for Alan Cranston. I felt Don Felder insulted Senator Cranston under his breath and I confronted him with it.

So now we're on stage, and Felder looks back at me and says, "Only three more songs till I kick your ass, pal."

And I'm saying, "Great. I can't wait."

We're out there singing "Best of My Love," but inside both of us are thinking, "As soon as this is over, I'm gonna kill him." That was when I knew I had to get out. 

 Reader's Comments - Submit your new thread

Purplelisa (2020)

Henley and Frey are/were egotistical assholes.

Reply This Thread

-----

Stan (2016)

This may oversimplify things, but I think it's true that without the song "Hotel California", the Eagles do not hold the same status in the annals of classic rock. It's one of those iconic rock songs, you know, like the Stairway to Heavens and the Freebirds. There are only so many bands that have those, and the Eagles are one of them. They are among the elite few. So without Felder, no Hotel California, and A LOT less respect.

Reply This Thread

-----

Jim H (2015)

I've seen them all. You name the band ive seen them. NO BAND ever came close but one to them live in late 70s. Believe it or not it was Kansas. I saw them after Felder was gone and left before end show. Gods truth. Not even close to the same band without Felder. A friend of mine once said it should be joe Walsh and the Eagles and I buy into that a lot actually but Felder and Walsh together playing turn to stone was beyond unreal. Go google turn to stone Felder and Walsh from 77 or so and see for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FtIvfrow3c&feature=youtu.be

Leigh Ivin (2016)

Kansas?

Shane (2020)

Close to them how?

Reply This Thread

-----

Gaius_Suetonius_Tranquillus (2015)

Felder wrote the melody to "Hotel California" in a rented house on Malibu Beach in 1976. That one song made the Eagles an iconic band. Henley and Frey fired him 25 years later. Not nice people.

Terry Lee (2016)

No not nice at all.

Reply This Thread

-----

n5ifi (2015)

I grew up a few miles down the road from Don and about 10 years later............Felder was right. I did love the Eagles though and at that time, 72-76 or so, we didn't even know one of the guys in the band was from our area of the world. No cell phones or internet, everything was moving a lot slower then. Everything was word of mouth and magazine. There were no video's on tv/cable but we did have "The Mid Night Special". It was a really good time to grow up in. I miss it greatly. I saw the Eagles for the only time during my Senior Year in High School 1976 on a Thursday night in Shreveport,La. at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum. They were wonderful and I was tired as hell the next day at school where I proudly wore my Eagles T shirt. There were only two of us that day in the whole school that had them.

DIANE (2016)

I grew up in Shreveport, La. but then moved to Houston, Tx. I never knew that Don Henley was from 'round the corner' either, because like you said, We didn't have Internet during those 'simple life' times to know these things. I never even got to see the Eagles in concert because I was a poor child, lol. But I sure made up for it as an adult- over the years. I wish I could go back to the 70's. I'm on Facebook; https://m.facebook.com/diane.price.37853

Reply This Thread

-----

Left Unsaid (2015)

Poor man's Burrito Brothers. The Chipotle of Country Rock.

Kevin Shipman (2018)

Get a grip. Look at the song list of the two bands side by side. No contest.

Reply This Thread

-----

Philip Taylor (2015)

Although the Eagles had already established themselves to some extent prior to the involvement of Felder and Walsh, and presumably would have continued to reasonably successful at that level if Felder and Walsh had never joined, putting out tuneful little soft country ditties like Lyin' Eyes, etc. However it seems to me that there can be no argument that the guitar playing of Felder and Walsh, together with the monumental hit Hotel California, music written mainly by Felder, that propelled them into a different league altogether. It seems also quite clear that the main motivation for the removal of Felder was greed. Once Felder had been used to propel the Eagles into the stratosphere, he was no longer needed, and Frey and Henley would make more money from a 2 way split rather than a 3 way one. Its interesting that Henley never states that the financial details mentioned in Felders book are not correct. How hard would it be to simply say "That's not true - we never tried to get more of the money!". Henleys frequent comments about him and Frey being the main people behind the Eagles shows clearly they felt they had the right to have the biggest share of the proceeds. Personally i don't share there opinion. My two favourite Eagles tracks are Hotel California and One Of These Nights, both post Felder tracks featuring Felders distinctive and excellent guitar playing. I do appreciate Henley's and Frey's singing, but replace Henleys voice on Hotel California and you would still have a stand out track. Get rid of Felder and Walsh's guitar playing and you would have a much less enjoyable experience, and of course get rid of Felder and the track would not even exist.

tum kritcher (2015)

egos- always happens. someone gets their feelings hurt or thinks they ahve been dissed- probably were..then its like a sore that never heals...

Bill (2015)

That's funny; Felder says Frey was the author of that "three more songs" line.

Reply This Thread

-----

James Wallace (2014)

Felder was a great guitar player period. He never had the talent or vision of Glen Frey as a songwriter or singer. Glen jealous of Felder not in thus lifetime.

Guest (2015)

Felder is more awesome the more I listen to him. Under appreciated that's for sure. I'm sure that is why he wanted to sing a few songs as the lead.

Rick Graham (2015)

The problem with Henley and Frey was they forgot that Don Felder was an equal partner unlike Walsh and Schmidt who were just hired players. They thought that only the 2 of them were the Eagles LOL . I guess they found out in court that Don was an equal partner and they owed him a few bucks plus everytime they played they had to pay him since they fired him without just cause because they didn't want to pay him. But he had the partnership Eagles LTD of which he was the CFO on his side.

Gaius_Suetonius_Tranquillus (2015)

Felder wrote "Hotel California."

Lisa Shepherd (2016)

No Felder did not. He wrote the beginning riff and sent it to Don and Glenn which they liked. Don and Glenn wrote the lyrics. Don, Glenn and Felder finished the music together along with Joe adding in some of the two man solo.

Gaius_Suetonius_Tranquillus (2016)

No they did not. Felder wrote the entire song, not just the beginning riff. Henley and Frey wrote the lyrics. Watch the video with Don Felder and his fianceé in the audience. She has the actual demo that he gave to Glenn and Don on her iPod, from beginning riff to the end, all parts included. It's Don Felder playing all the parts. It's rough and it's a little more reggae, but it's the whole song.

The Eagles had a policy that whoever wrote most of the song would get first position in the writers credits. When the vinyl record was first issued, it originally read "Don Felder - Don Henley - Glenn Frey." And then, years later, somehow miraculously changed to Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Don Felder.

People decide they can rewrite history and credit themselves as Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Don Felder.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YubgQc_ovOo
It's illuminating.

Rick Graham (2016)

Felder said he had the whole song written all the guitar parts and bass lines then Henley added the Lyrics. On their albums the member that contributed most of the song was listed first and I have the original album and Felder's name is listed first on it which backs up what he said.

Gaius_Suetonius_Tranquillus (2016)

While Henley and Frey wrote the lyrics, guitarist Don Felder composed the bulk of the music, initially recording the song's 12 string riff in his four track home studio.

When he first played it to the band, they perceived it as "a bizarre mix of musical influences" and the song's working title became Mexican Reggae.

Recording began in Los Angeles, but the first version of the song was in the wrong key for Henley's raspy vocals.

"He sounded like Barry Gibb in this high voice," said Felder, who transposed the song from E minor to B minor "which is not a particularly guitar-friendly key, but it was perfect for his voice".

A second recording turned out to be too fast, so the band started again in Miami, fine-tuning the instrumentation and the lyrics in the process.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35347075

Kevin Shipman (2018)

The music. Not the lyrics.

Gaius_Suetonius_Tranquillus (2018)

Yes, Henley wrote the lyrics. A song without music is not a song.

Reply This Thread

-----

Guest (2014)

The Eagles wouldn't have existed without Frey's vision and drive and Henley's vocals and co-writing. But the band was mostly Frey. He pushed and pushed and pushed some more. I don't care what happened offstage, I was never invited to join them, the resulting product and song catalog was great. Frey may have been so single minded he was annoying and abrasive in person but he put things together that worked. Henley is highly talented, probably more than Frey, but more inclined to go his own way and not fight to lead a band.

The rest of the guys were highly talented sideman, and the smarter ones - Schmidt, Walsh - knew they weren't equal members and stayed below the radar and just enjoyed the ride. I don't blame Felder and Bernie for resenting the situation; at that age I would have too.

The Eagles, the great American band. They are to America what the Beatles were to Britain.

Guest (2015)

You're really expanding on my comment. The Eagles had a lot of help, and all those people matter, especially JD Souther, but without Henley and Frey,. no Eagles.

Walt (2015)

Don't forget Jackson Brown! No "standing on the corner in Winslow, AZ." Without him. Even Glenn Frey openly admitted that listening to Jackson and his teapot was what taught him what songwriting was all about! Hard work and determination!

And JD Souther turned down an invitation to be a member of "Eagles" early on. I'm not sure he regrets saying "no" or not! Huge money but then the trade offs might not have been worth it. Glenn Frey was a dominating personality and not everyone can tolerate being around a person who causes that much friction and angst! I mean even Henley who was closest to Frey literally hated him off and on.

Death over time smooths out the memories and the rough times become distant and seemingly less important. Regrets can become bigger but then it's much too late now isn't it?

Rest in peace Glenn Frey "you've been out riding fences for too long now!" Hopefully you know that you've given most of us a "Peaceful Easy Feeling".

Guest (2015)

Frey had lots of help and breaks along the way, no doubt. He was a smart man to be able to take advantage of them too. I find myself mourning his loss like I did Steve Jobs. I had a little more connection to Glenn because we both lived in Royal Oak MI at the same time, and I would have gone to his high school had we not moved away. I remember Bob Seger, Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheel. Everybody wanted them for prom!

Poor Glenn, apparently he was sick for 20+ years, we just never knew. RA is rough, and it was the meds that gave him colitis, which led to pneumonia. Even though I haven't seen him in person since 1977, since he is not out there any longer, I will miss him.

Guest (2015)

We are not disagreeing here. I like how you call Don and Glenn the parents.

Lisa Shepherd (2016)

Glenn also did all the arranging. He once spent 3 days in the studio on the word "city" form Lyin Eyes. He was the President and Henley was the Vice President.

Reply This Thread

-----

JWDREAMS76 (2014)

well said TAK1. I"m 34 and grew up listening to the Eagles. I saw them in 94 when I was fourteen and have been a musician ever since. If you've ever been in a band, the one thing that can't be ignored is that, if you're writing the song(s), then your voice NEEDS to be heard above the others so they can understand your vision for your song (at least initially). I can speak from personal experience that it is painful to have one or more of your guys not give you the courtesy to hear you explain what you're going for. Not telling them "what to play", but "what overall focus" you're hearing in your head. Once understood, their parts become essential and help shape the overall product by which it becomes "the band's"; however, having that initial song or melody puts you in a driver seat. Henley and Frey obviously were going to take leadership roles even if their inherent personalities weren't as "leaders". Clearly, Frey's attitude was the wrecking ball. EVERY altercation with those who left, was with Frey. Leadon pouring beer over Frey's head, Frey telling Meisner "fuck you then" because he didn't want to sing the high note (or didn't feel comfortable)". Why not just lose the high note at the end? The crowd would have still loved it. Then, Frey threatens to kick the shit out of Felder on stage because he was bitter about playing a political show. Felder was an "equal share" guy, and although he didn't write the music, I would offer (as a song writer/producer/guitarist and vocalist) that Felder's input was CRITICAL to their success. Find me ONE LICK on any of their remarkable songs that you can't "sing" verbatim. He wrote guitar parts like a violinist writes parts for a symphony. They're not just jams that change from night to night, they are truly pieces of art interwoven perfectly into the music. So, even though Henley and Frey wrote the skeleton, they didn't give proper respect for Felder's contributions. AND LEADON'S FOR THAT MATTER. His guitar prowess was just as gifted. Put lyin' eyes or Take it easy, or hotel california together with a mediocre guitarist, and the songs never sell their millions. STILL MY FAVORITE BAND EVER, BUT FREY WAS A PRICK BUT PROBABLY DROVE THE BAND TO THEIR SUCCESS, SO IT'S ONLY FITTING HE BROKE THEM UP WITH HIS "FUCK YOU" ATTITUDE. Ironically, his Eagles songs were always my favorite. But, I'll sign off by saying that Joe Walsh was my favorite Eagle by far, but more so because he was Joe Walsh before the Eagles. The Smoker You Drink the Player You Get is my favorite album of all time and contains my favorite song "dreams". I bet if he was more sober and more willing to get in between Frey and Henley to demand more studio time on his music, they would have been even better during their peak. Listen to "Help Me Through The Night" (where Frey, Henly, and Felder) join him on the track and tell me you wouldn't want to hear more of that on those records. Incredible. Here ends, my novel....

Guest (2015)

I agree! Like a car, the Eagles were better as a sum of their parts than as individuals. Somehow it all came together nicely. Everyone in the band was highly talented, there was no dead weight. I don't care if they fought internally, I wasn't there.

SuperTroll (2015)

[With Glenn's death I'm rejoining this thread late] I think your comment is interesting. Were the Eagles greater than the sum or their parts? The knee jerk response is Yes, but when I think of all the post-Eagles hits of Henley, Frey, and even Joe Walsh I'm going to say No. I think they produced more great songs solo than they did together. But then I disdain their country-rock hits so they only had two albums I really liked; the last two. The only songs from the early period which I liked were Desperado and Already Gone (the latter written by non-Eagles). However, their very biggest songs may have been Hotel California, New Kid In Town, and Life In The Fast Line so that puts the shine on their time together.

And that brings me to their net worths. Songwriting is what makes or breaks careers. As great as their guitars and voices were, if they don't have the great songs they are very forgettable. And doing a Google net worth says:

Don Henley - $200 million
Glen Frey - $90 million
Joe Walsh - $65 million
Don Felder - $60 million

That seems about right to me. Don had a lot of great solo hits, in my opinion, whereas the others didn't have nearly as many solo hits.

Guest (2015)

Don Henley had a nice solo career, the best of them, but never as good as with the Eagles. The Frey/Henley team made magic. Glenn by himself? Not so much. Joe by himself? Ok...Felder by himself? Awful. I just listed to one of his albums, it is horrible. But slot them into the Eagles, and everyone sings, and magic is made.

Heather (2015)

Gotta confess: I've been a fan of the Eagles since high school, which in my case was a long time after their heyday. I had heard Don Henley's solo stuff, but never Frey's...or so I thought. The other day, I was driving to work and "One That You Love" came on and I said to myself, "Oh man, this is the cheesiest/worst song in the world..." Then the radio guy comes on and says, "That was 'One That You Love' from Glenn Frey..." I said, "WHAT?!" Someone else said it, but it bears repeating: all of these guys had talent, but they needed each other to make *great*, not just good, music.

Reply This Thread

-----

jimmy raschel (2014)

All relationships end I guess and you guys are no different. I know the feelings having been in one of the 100s of bands that never got to your level but still experienced the same thing personality-wise and for a lot less money and noteriaty. When the relationships end, whether you were making love, music, memories or anything together, you have to look back and rationalize that its not how far you went but the time you spent doing whatever it was. You guys did something. Meant something and left a legacy we all can draw from. Be well.

Jack (2014)

It's pretty clear Frey was jealous of Felder. Henley had the vocals, Felder made the sound, and Frey was more or less a journeyman. It really rubbed a Frey that Felder was really the force that brought the Eagles it's sound. Sure Henley's vocals were/are defining, but it's Felder's guitar that defines the sound. To me Frey's musical contributions were not seminal. Felder is the sound of the Eagles....plain and simple.

Walt (2015)

Naah! I don't buy it, Frey wasn't jealous of Felder. He was just a driven, "Type A" personally as evidenced by his death! He suffered from the disease that often manifests itself in these types! In addition to rheumatoid arthritis he also had colitis and huge stomach issues, all brought on by his constant anger. He literally ate himself up from the inside with grudges.

His voice was the original voice of "Eagles" only to have to take a back seat to Henley, his guitar playing took a back seat to Felder, Leadon and Walsh. His keyboards didn't dominate much "Eagles" music either. All he had left was the leadership of the group and that was challenged by Henley and by revolts from Meisner, Leadon and Felder who were sick of his overbearing demands!

Was he great? Damned right he was BUT! It wasn't enough to give him peace and that's what eventually killed him. A person like him only survives if he can moderate and learn to release all the internal strife and it's rare when someone can do that! Johnny Carson is another example of a terribly unhappy man who was horrendously controlling and in the end died bitter and alone.

I'm sure all members of "Eagles" are very sad and sorry for Glenn's death and for his family as am I but jealousy of Felder doesn't even come close to explaining It!

Heather (2015)

I agree, I think he was extremely controlling over his vision. He considered himself and Don the leaders of the band because they started it. As far as his stomach issues: long-term drug abuse will mess things up as well.

Walt (2015)

Bingo!

Reply This Thread

-----

Jim chibkok (2014)

the issue is glenn and don wont talk to felder even after felder reached out multiple times

Walt (2015)

That's oversimplified! Felder has ongoing lawsuits (and rightfully so) against both men! That doesn't tend to make for warm reunions does it?

Guest (2015)

Felder is talented but he comes off in his book as a little childish, a complainer. He is not the kind of guy Frey would want around.

Walt (2015)

Felder was forced to play in a fund raiser for Alan Cranston, a Left Wing Liberal supported by Frey!
When Frey assumed that Felder had slighted Cranston prior to the concert Frey went nuts!
Both Felder and Frey have been interviewed and told the same story so there is no discrepancy.
Frey was an intense person whose personality led to his eventual demise due to stomach issues.
It's very unfortunate but it's not uncommon for this personality type.

peggy smith (2015)

I don't care what the two great white ones say. they are talented as hell but without walsh and felder they would have never had the success they did. Don Felder is so talented as is Joe Walsh. Joe seems to be less confrontational than Don Felder. As talented as Frey and Henley are, they didn't make the magic alone.

Walt (2015)

Meisner was no slouch either. He wrote and sang "Take It To The Limit! which is a signature "Eagles" hit and which no one in the group could do justice to other than Randy Meisner! He has a much nicer voice than Henley any day of the week! And I bet if you asked Henley he'd agree. Even he can't deny that!!

Reply This Thread


Buy 'The History of the Eagles - The Story of an American Band' at Amazon.com


Terrapin St. Icon  Main Page | Seventies Superstars | The Classic 500 | Seventies Almanac | Search The RockSite/The Web