R.I.P.: Randy Meisner

[PoP80]

variety.com/2023/music/news/randy-meisner-dead-eagles-co-founder-1235681972/amp/

[erik]

This hurts! It means that one-half of the original Eagles line-up is no longer with us. Only Don Henley and Bernie Leadon are still alive now.

[Dianna]

Yes, I read that earlier.. Very sad news. RIP.

[erik]

What is truly bad is that his passing is the third one the music business has had to suffer in the last seven days (Tony Bennett coming last Friday, and Sinead O'Connor just yesterday).

Scary doesn't begin to describe it (IMHO).

[Holly]

REST IN PEACE RANDY MEISNER

JULY 27, 2023
eagles.com/blogs/news/rest-in-peace-randy-meisner

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).



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.



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,’” said the Eagles.



Prior to Poco, he was bassist and vocalist with Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band.



Randy was born on March 8, 1946, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.



Funeral arrangements are pending.

[MokyWI]

Sad. Was wondering who would be next yesterday morning on my walk. Then #2 with O’Connor and #3 with Meisner and it’s twenty-four hours later. Truly is as Jimmy Webb titled an album, “Twilight of the God’s”…or did I dream that up?

[eddiejinnj]

I meant to post this yesterday. So sad. I would think Linda will make some public comment/s on his passing. RIP and my deepest condolences and sympathies to all his loved ones and fans. eddiejinnj

[eddiejinnj]

Just saw an article about his passing and it showed a shaved long hair Glenn Fry in the main pic. Shame. At least there was a video (of a different source) with Randy included and a pic of the whole band. eddiejinnj

[eddiejinnj]

The Eagles' Randy Meisner fought with bandmates, rejected fame and lost wife in freak accident before death
Meisner was known not only for playing bass for the Eagles but also for singing their hit song 'Take It to the Limit'
By Emily Trainham | Fox News
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Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines of July 27
Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here.

Eagles founding member Randy Meisner died Wednesday. The next day, the legendary band he helped make famous announced his passing on social media.

Despite his contributions to the band, assisting in creating their most iconic hits, playing bass and playing a part in the songwriting, Meisner was never comfortable with fame, an issue that eventually led to his exit from the spotlight.

The Eagles formed in 1971 with the help of another unforgettable rock act, Linda Ronstadt. In her 2014 autobiography, she explained that Don Henley and Glenn Frey had played together in her touring band. They got to know each other and decided to form a band themselves. Ronstadt suggested they recruit another musician she liked, Bernie Leadon, and a producer she was working with, John Boylan, pulled in Meisner.


EAGLES FOUNDING MEMBER RANDY MEISNER DEAD AT 77

A photo of Randy Meisner playing with The Eagles
Randy Meisner founded the Eagles in 1971 with Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Bernie Leadon. (Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)

In the next few years, the Eagles would release some of their biggest songs, including "Witchy Woman," "Take It Easy" and "Desperado." Their first No. 1 hit, "Best of My Love," was released in 1974, and their first No. 1 album, "One of These Nights," came the following year.

During this rush to fame, Meisner was struggling with becoming a public figure. A husband and a father of three young children, he found it difficult to be on tour away from his family for such long stretches of time.

One of his biggest problems, however, was his desire to stay out of the spotlight, an issue that got worse after he sang the lead on another huge hit for the band, "Take It to the Limit."

The Eagles at a press conference in Tokyo in 1976
Randy Meisner left the Eagles in September 1977 after an altercation with Glenn Frey led to the rest of the band icing him out. From left: Meisner, Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Don Felder. (Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images))

"I was always kind of shy," Meisner admitted in a Rolling Stone interview. "They wanted me to stand in the middle of the stage to sing 'Take It to the Limit,' but I liked to be out of the spotlight."

This issue came to a head at a concert in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1977. The group was touring, and the plan was for him to sing "Take It to the Limit" for the encore, but he refused due to his health — in addition to the stomach ulcers he'd developed, he also had the flu that night. Henley later alleged to a biographer that the real issue was that he'd stayed up too late partying the night before.

THE EAGLES' FAREWELL TOUR: LOOK BACK AT ICONIC BAND'S ‘LONG GOODBYE’

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Henley and Frey both talked about that fateful concert in the documentary "The History of the Eagles," with Frey claiming that Meisner had repeatedly told him that he didn't want to sing his signature song anymore because he'd been having trouble hitting all the notes — a request he kept refusing for the sake of their fans.


Randy Meisner of the Eagles during an interview in London in 1973. (Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)

Meisner said that the band had told him to quit if he was so unhappy performing, but during the Knoxville concert, he simply wouldn't perform the song. A physical fight ensued, and in multiple interviews with biographers, Meisner admitted he had thrown the first punch, something he said the other members never forgave.

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Shortly after the fight, Meisner left the band and returned to his family.

The Eagles at the rock and roll hall of fame induction
Meisner reunited with the Eagles when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. (JON LEVY/AFP via Getty Images)

Over the years, he continued making music, sometimes solo and sometimes with other people. Meisner never achieved the remarkable success he'd had with the Eagles, but he didn't exactly want that for himself.

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"I could have tripled my money if I’d stayed," Meisner told People in 1981. "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."

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In the years leading up to his death, he faced a different kind of struggle: the death of his wife.

Randy Meisner
Randy Meisner on March 6, 1981, in Chicago. (Paul Natkin/WireImage)

Meisner divorced his first wife in 1981 and a few years later began dating a woman named Lana. The two would later marry in 1996. Twenty years later, she was accidentally killed in the couple's home.

Lana had been moving a rifle that was typically stored in a gun case in a closet, and according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department, "As she lifted the rifle in the case, another item within the case shifted and hit the trigger of the rifle causing it to fire and fatally injure Mrs. Meisner."

At the time, police noted that Meisner had been "cooperative throughout the investigation," and he was later cleared when surveillance video showed he was in a different area of the house when the gun went off.

black and white photo of Randy Meisner from 1981
Randy Meisner didn't marry again after the accidental death of his second wife. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Meisner died from complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the Eagles' official Facebook page.

"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 band said in the post.

They added that funeral arrangements for Meisner are pending.


Emily Trainham is an entertainment editor for Fox News Digital.


Linda mention in above article plus a pretty good bit on Randy and the boys. eddiejinnj

[musedeva]

R.I.P.....man......bad time for Pisces.........................

[sliderocker]

I saw the story on Randy's passing on Monday and was going to post, but when I mentioned Randy's passing to my brother, he thought Randy had died earlier (as a year or two back) and that it was a story just being reposted by the various websites. I decided to wait and recheck the story date just in case it did happen earlier. Nope, it didn't. And I blame all these fake news outlets and YouTube videos that say this celebrity or that celebrity has died. There's one even for Linda floating around on YouTube. I would like to get rid of all these horrible sources. I also remember fake death stories showing up about Gordon Lightfoor and Sinead O'Connor, long before either of them passed this year.

Take It To The Limit was my favorite song by the Eagles, one reason being it was sung by Randy and not by Don or Glenn. It was also a song that takes me back to the 70s in a way that no other song can do as it evokes certain memories of people I knew and who are long departed from this life. I always wished the original Eagles line up of Don, Glenn, Randy and Bernie had reunited but for whatever reason,I knew that would never happen. Don is touring now as the Eagles and is the only member in the band who was in the band in its various incarnations previously. Is it still the Eagles at this point or a Don Henley tour wherein he's performing the hits of the Eagles but just with a different group of musicians? It's unfair, I think, to call it the Eagles as a similar argument had been made about other acts that only had one original member left.

[erik]

Quote by sliderocker:

Is it still the Eagles at this point or a Don Henley tour wherein he's performing the hits of the Eagles but just with a different group of musicians? It's unfair, I think, to call it the Eagles as a similar argument had been made about other acts that only had one original member left.

I think the band is on its seemingly never-ending "Farewell Tour", with Vince Gill and/or Deacon Frey (Glenn's son) along for the ride. It's kind of a crazy way to run a railroad, so to speak, when you've got nothing else to prove to anybody anymore, and when one-half of the original line-up is now in literal rock and roll heaven.

One remembers that Randy, while certainly a good enough vocalist and a good enough bass player, may have, at one time, been a little bit too good. During that 1971 tour when he was a part of the band that would morph into the Eagles but at the time was backing Linda, his bass playing was a bit too busy at times for Linda's liking, and earned him a few Nicholson-like glares from her. But I don't think she harbored those feelings for too long about Randy, seeing as how good a fit he was for the Eagles in the end.

[sliderocker]

Aug 2, 2023 18:40:22 GMT -5 erik said:

I think the band is on its seemingly never-ending "Farewell Tour", with Vince Gill and/or Deacon Frey (Glenn's son) along for the ride.It's kind of a crazy way to run a railroad, so to speak, when you've got nothing else to prove to anybody anymore, and when one-half of the original line-up is now in literal rock and roll heaven.

One remembers that Randy, while certainly a good enough vocalist and a good enough bass player, may have, at one time, been a little bit too good. During that 1971 tour when he was a part of the band that would morph into the Eagles but at the time was backing Linda, his bass playing was a bit too busy at times for Linda's liking, and earned him a few Nicholson-like glares from her. But I don't think she harbored those feelings for too long about Randy, seeing as how good a fit he was for the Eagles in the end.

I believe there is a right way to do such a tour and a wrong way. Former Monkee Micky Dolenz is touring but his concert is billed as a tribute to his late brothers in arms of Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork, although he certain sings many of the songs he sang the lead on or has done as a solo artist. Their last tour, Mike and Micky touted their tour as a farewell tour and who sadly knew, that would be the case? Mike died not long after the tour ended and from the concert footage available, he didn't look good. But, it was something he wanted to do, having come to terms with being a member of the Monkees and appreciating his place in musical history as a member of the Monkees.

Likewise, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees did a limited tour to promote the music of the Bee Gees a few years ago, and brought along his son Stephen to perform some of Maurice's songs and Maurice's daughter Samantha to sing a few of the leads that were sung by Robin, as well as her own solo material. And Barry did a few of Robin's leads as well but only briefly, allowing Robin (in film and video performances) to sing his hits. It wasn't billed as a Bee Gees concert though it may have been billed as Barry Gibb Performs the hits of the Bee Gees. Before her death, singer Olivia Newton-John accompanied Barry in Australia during the same tour. I believe this was just after it had been announced she had been diagnosed with her cancer yet again.

I guess one shouldn't say too much about Don's touring as the Eagles, although it might have been nice if he had reached out to Bernie to see if he would go out on tour. Or Timothy B Schmidt. The Professor of Rock, Adam Reader, has a tribute to Randy on YouTube, and he mentioned both Bernie and Randy split from the group after getting into fights with Glenn. Randy's fight with Glenn was over Take It To The Limit. I believe there was some resentment from Glenn towards Randy over the song having been a hit and he wanted Randy to sing it in concert, but it was difficult to sing live because of the high notes. Randy did the song but I can't remember if they actually came to blows or almost.

Timothy's departure from the Eagles also occurred because of a fight with Glenn after a benefit concert to help promote Alan Cranston for his senate seat. Cranston's wife had apparently snubbed or insulted Schmidt and he didn't take too kindly to it. Glenn heard it and tore into Timothy about it. One thing led to another and that was it for Timothy. I suspect Glenn may have had quite a temper and easy to anger, which could also suggest he had high blood pressure. Don may have had his issues too with the others but it's ironic to see Glenn's name turn up as having been a reason they quit or were fired from the band. For Don, it may have been a case of leave well enough alone.

I never knew about Linda having a problem with Randy as I thought he was in her band or in one of her bands before Glenn and Don were. I did think it was unusual that in Linda's first book,she was complaining on the one hand about members of one of her bands seemingly taking over her center stage role, and then writing that it was clear Don and Glenn (and Bernie, I believe) were going to go off and form their own band and she suggested Randy for the bass player. I can understand her complaint about members of one of her bands taking over her center stage role but not being concerned about Don and Glenn forming their own band...unless they were the same band in question?

I considered that to be a possibility as I couldn't picture other bands who had backed her and who were possibly virtual unknowns having the nerve to push her aside and act like they were in charge. But, I doubt Linda would ever say it was them and with her memory, she may not remember who it was.

[erik]

The incident involving Alan Cranston at the concert in Long Beach (referred to as "Long Night At Wrong Beach") didn't involve Timothy Schmit, but Don Felder, who seemingly wasn't into doing benefit gigs, at least without being paid, that is. It didn't help that everyone in the Eagles, save Schmit, were fighting addictions to all manner of, how shall we say, illicit substances (booze; cocaine), which caused a lot of people's fuses to be a lot shorter.

As for Bernie's departure--it was primarily due to the fact that he didn't really partake in the band's hedonistic excesses; he had seen a lot of that even in his short stints with Dillard and Clark (Doug Dillard and ex-Byrd Gene Clark) and the Flying Burrito Brothers (seeing Gram Parsons frequently go onstage plastered). It may have also had to do with how far into harder-edged rock the band was going, away from Bernie's more country-influenced (even bluegrass) style. I think things were patched up for the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, since all of them performed together for the one and only time.

In terms of how Linda felt about Randy--well, she didn't seem to carry a grudge for all that long, given how far advanced he and the rest of the Eagles were when she heard them rehearsing at hers and J.D. Souther's bungalow on Camrose Drive (within earshot of the Hollywood Bowl). Unless someone can jog Linda's fading memory, however, I don't think we'll really know how she reacted to Randy's passing.

[sliderocker]

I must've been at that Wrong Beach as well, as it was Don Felder and not Timothy. That, or my memory is fading as well, and I suspect it's the latter. Only I don't want to admit it. The illicit substances may have had more to do with everyone in the Eagles having shorter fuses.

As for Don not wanting to do benefit gigs without being paid, although he was a member of the Eagles then, was he a full fledged member of the Eagles, sharing in the artist royalties? Or was he a paid employee, possibly paid a weekly salary and maybe given points on the Eagles' album he was part of and songwriting royalties on songs he wrote or helped write? I know of a few bands where not all the band members shared in the royalties but were paid weekly salaries (which is kind of disgusting) or were limited partners receiving a smaller share of the royalties (which is even more disgusting). Or are we talking about being paid by Cranston during his election run? Don had a point if he was a paid employee and the Eagles were donating their time for free or if Cranston was supposed to pay them. Or tensions between the Eagles may have been so bad things were fairly frayed at that point and any little thing that could ignite an argument usually did.

Your account of Bernie's split from the Eagles falls in line with what I've read previously on the inner relations between the band. But, as always, there may be more behind the scenes stories we don't know about until someone eventually leaks out the information. And I know there's one book I read a snippet of where Bernie talked about his split from the Eagles where he acknowledged the facts regarding the Eagles moving more into rock and away from his preferred musical genres and the hedonistic excesses of the other Eagle members. But, I'm sure he mentioned there was tensions between him and Glenn. It may have been musical and artistic differences than personal differences. And things seemed to be patched up between the all current and former members of the Eagles when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Except for Randy.

It was mentioned he was the only member of the band not invited to take part in the Hell Freezes Over tour, but he was experiencing an assortment of issues during that time. And was hospitalized for some of those issues during the early 2000s. It might not have been possible for him to have taken part in the tour. The other Eagles must've patched up their differences with him at some point later on as they paid his hospital bill.

Given Linda was the one who suggested Randy to Glenn and Don, she definitely didn't seem to carry a grudge. I don't know if she was told about Randy's passing. Linda may have been told but no one asked her about his passing, which is probably how she would like it. She could mourn his passing privately and kept whatever she felt about Randy private. It's also possible the news media didn't make a connection between Linda and the Eagles, despite the Eagles inducting Linda into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, when Andrew and Kenny both died, Linda was interviewed about both. Andrew was probably more well known than Kenny but someone knew enough to ask Linda about Kenny. If someone asked Linda about Randy, they've kept it to themselves as I can find no comments. And it's my hope that's the way she wants it rather than her memory needing to be jogged.

[erik]

I think the arguments that Felder may have had with Henley and Frey, apart from doing a benefit concert, were with the songs that were included on any one given album, the publishing rights, and the usual royalties struggles. In the end, it was money that broke up the Eagles the first time around; and it was that same thing that caused Felder to be (unceremoniously, in my opinion) fired from the band in early 2001. And we can't discount the Other Elements that were there: the drugs...although I suppose that Money (or the love of such) is a drug unto itself.

As for the media not making any connection between Linda and the Eagles--well, who among us is surprised? (rhetorical question).

[PoP80]

It seems as if there was always a lot of friction between the band members of the Eagles. Probably a clash of egos had something to do with it, but I'm sure there were many other issues. Also, Randy had performance anxiety and was insecure about reaching the high notes in Take it to the Limit. In any case, he endured a great deal of tragedy in his life, as well as poor health in the last few years.

[alyn]

In recent years Try And Love Again has risen to become one of my favourite Eagles songs...of course I love the whole album, and lyrically it matches every other song on it. Utterly heart breaking. But on the other hand, I did feel compelled to buy a live Randy Meisner album and it was really...not very good / at all.
But he was a great talent, no question, sadly full of difficulties in his life.