ABOUT POST
Eagles co-founder and bassist/vocalist Randy Meisner died last night (July 26) in Los Angeles due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a statement from the band. He was 77.
The Scottsbluff, Neb., native formed the Eagles in 1971 in tandem with Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Bernie Leadon, and was a key contributor to their decade-long run of best-selling albums such as Desperado, On the Border, One of Those Nights, and Hotel California. He co-wrote and sang the 1975 hit single “Take It to the Limit,” and also handled lead vocals on the songs “Certain Kind of Fool,” “Try and Love Again,” “Take the Devil,” and “Is It True?”
Meisner left the band amid long-simmering internal issues in September 1977 and was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who remains in the Eagles to this day. He did not participate in any of the group’s post-1994 reunions, but was present for its 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He declined an invitation to appear during the group’s 2013 tour due to ill health.
“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 Eagles said in a statement.