Eagles founding member Randy Meisner has passed away at the age of 77, as sadly confirmed by a Facebook post by the band on Thursday.
According to the official Facebook announcement, Meisner succumbed to complications arising from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“As the original bass player for the pioneering country-rock group, Poco, Randy was at the forefront of the musical revolution that began in Los Angeles, in the late 1960s,” the post began.
It continued: “In 1971, Randy, along with Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Bernie Leadon, formed the Eagles and contributed to the band’s albums, Eagles, Desperado, On The Border, One of These Nights, and Hotel California. He was inducted with the Eagles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.”
“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band. His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit,’” the post said.
Don Felder, Randy’s former bandmate, fondly referred to him as “the sweetest man in the music business.” Meisner joined forces with Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Bernie Leadon in the ’70s, serving as the band’s lead bassist.
The Eagles evolved their style from country rock to hard rock, unleashing a series of hit singles and albums over the next decade, including chart-toppers like ‘Take It Easy‘, ‘Desperado‘, ‘Hotel California‘, and ‘Life In the Fast Lane‘.
Though some critics criticized their music as slick and shallow, the Eagles achieved immense popularity with two of the best-selling albums of all time: ‘Hotel California‘ and ‘Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)‘.
During the ‘Hotel California‘ tour, Meisner faced personal challenges with a failing first marriage and homesickness. He was hesitant about the spotlight on “Take It to the Limit,” a showcase for his distinctive tenor voice. A backstage argument with Frey during a concert in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1977 led to Meisner’s departure from the band. Timothy B. Schmit replaced him and remained with the group alongside Henley, Walsh, and Frey until Frey’s passing in 2016.
In a 1981 interview with People Magazine, Meisner expressed that he could have earned more money if he had stayed with the Eagles. However, he chose to prioritize his “sanity” over financial gains due to the exhausting nature of constant touring.
After leaving the Eagles, Meisner pursued a solo career. While he didn’t reach the same level of success as the band, he achieved hits with songs like ‘Hearts On Fire‘ and ‘Deep Inside My Heart‘. He also contributed to records by artists such as Walsh, James Taylor, and Dan Fogelberg.
Meisner had been married twice – first to his high school sweetheart, Jennifer Lee Barton, with whom he had three children before their divorce in 1981. His second marriage was in November 1996 to Lana Rae, but she sadly passed away in 2016.
Reflecting on the Eagles’ legacy in a 2016 interview with Rock Cellar Magazine, Meisner said: “It’s just good to know that kids nowadays are listening to it. It’s long-standing music. They’re good songs.
“The lyrics are really good and the way that they were produced and the way that we played them. That’s why on ‘Hotel California‘ we were so precise and wanting to make it so perfect. We made sure we got it so good,” he added.Following Meisner’s passing, Canadian guitarist Randy Bachman took to Twitter to pay his respects to the late musician, praising him as an incredible singer, songwriter, and bassist.