Behind the Band: The Eagles

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards, and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in North America. Founding members Glenn Frey (guitars, vocals), Don Henley (drums, vocals), Bernie Leadon (guitars, vocals) and Randy Meisner (bass guitar, vocals), were recruited by Linda Ronstadt as band members, some touring with her, and all playing on her third solo album, before venturing out on their own on David Geffen’s new Asylum Records label.

The Eagles are one of the world’s best-selling bands, having sold more than 200 million records,including 100 million sold in U.S alone. They were ranked number 75 on Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

The band performed their 1976 album Hotel California in its entirety during three concerts at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in September–October 2019. The shows also included another set of the band’s greatest hits. The line-up included Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, Deacon Frey, and Vince Gill, with a 46-piece orchestra and a 22-voice choir. Following the Las Vegas shows, the band announced the “Hotel California 2020 Tour” to take place in six cities between February 7 and April 18, 2020.

In July 2020, footage of the band’s 2018 tours was released as a concert TV special on ESPN and a corresponding live album will be released in October. This will be the first release with new band members, Deacon Frey and Gill; the first release since Glenn Frey’s passing; and the first live release without Glenn Frey.

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