Randy Meisner, founding member of the iconic rock band the Eagles, has died at the age of 77 due to complications stemming from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Eagles announced Meisner’s passing on the music group’s Facebook page on Thursday.
“The Eagles are sad to report that founding member, bassist, and vocalist, Randy Meisner, passed away last night (July 26) in Los Angeles at age 77, due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD),” it said.
(L-R) Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey, Don Felder and Joe Walsh of The Eagles perform on stage at Ahoy on 11th May 1977 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty)
“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,” 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.”
Meisner joined the band with Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon in the 1970s as the lead bassist, with the band starting out in country rock before graduating to hard rock, becoming famous with timeless songs like “Take It Easy,” “Desperado,” “Hotel California,” and “Life In the Fast Lane.”
“His objections during a Knoxville, Tennessee, concert in the summer of 1977 so angered Frey that the two argued backstage, and Meisner left the band soon after,” noted Fox News. “His replacement, Timothy B. Schmit, remained with the group over the following decades, along with Henley, Walsh and Frey, who died in 2016.”
The Eagles pose for a group portrait in London in 1973. L-R Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon, Glenn Frey and Don Henley. (Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty)
“After exiting the Eagles, Meisner went solo. He never approached the success of the Eagles but did have hits with ‘Hearts On Fire’ and ‘Deep Inside My Heart’ and played on records by Walsh, James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg, among others,” it continued.
In 1981, Meisner told People Magazine that he could have “tripled” his money if he had stayed in the band, but he ultimately grew tired of touring.
“I could have tripled my money if I’d stayed,” Meisner said. “But I was just tired of the touring. It’s a crazy life that you live at twice the normal speed. When it got to the point of sanity or money … I thought I’d rather have sanity.”
Sorry to hear #Eagles #musician Randy Meisner has left us. He was an incredible #singer #songwriter and #bassist. Peace to his friends and family. #Takeittothelimit #rip #RandyMeisner pic.twitter.com/S3tAOcv2fO
— Randy Bachman (@RandysVinylTap) July 28, 2023
Meisner told Rock Cellar Magazine in 2016 that he grew to appreciate the Eagles legacy.
“It’s just good to know that kids nowadays are listening to it. It’s long-standing music. They’re good songs,” he said. “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.”