Randy Meisner, the retired American singer and co-founding member of the Eagles, died on July 26 in Los Angeles due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a statement shared by the band on their website. He was 77.
That’s sobering. My mother has COPD.
RIP
He was replaced TWICE by Timothy B. Schmidt in Poco, then the Eagles. Both were bass players who had high vocal registers. And they wrote the first hit during their stay.
Not surprised you can’t find “Take It To The Limit” on the Eagles site, except a live version, probably just uploaded. I went to the HOTE tour, and Randy couldn’t make it even for an encore, but was going through health issues.
Whenever I hear that song on the radio, I can’t help but remember how much Randy hated singing that song in concert. (At least that’s what I read somewhere.)
I googled ‘Eagles singer dead’ and got this story at the highlight on top-- with pics of Glen Frey. He couldn’t even take it to the limit one last time without a bit of disrespect.
I guess the black lights have faded to blue. Thanks for some beautiful songs and happy memories. I don’t know how much he enjoyed playing his most famous song. But if it is true he came to appreciate it less than his audience, it’s not like that would make him the only cantankerous Eagle.
No, no. That’s the song he quit or was fired over, true, but not because he hated singing it. He was recovering from pneumonia, and the doctor told him that he had to forgo singing high notes for a certain length of time, or else lose his upper register forever.
But see, that ban would have ended after the tour ended. Meanwhile, Henley and Frey didn’t want to hear it*, and in fact, jumped to the conclusion that Meisner was being a diva. They started in with the lecture about The Show Must Go On, Meisner got fed up, and it went to fists and feet. The End. But not because Meisner hated singing TITTL! Why would he; it was his big moment.
*It was the Henley and Frey show, and anyone else could hang on or hang up. Timothy B. Schmidt hung on, I think Don Felder also hung up, and Joe Walsh was a free spirit; nothing fazed him.
Didn’t he also sing “Pretty Maids All In A Row”?
He was just worried he might not be able to hit that high note, but Glenn thought, "It’s our #1, you have to sing it… the fans pay … " which is partly why that partnership ended.
Joe Walsh sings that.
Joe loved performing, but having been “the guy” who had to make business decisions and book gigs in the past, he didn’t like it. He was very happy that he didn’t have to do that any more. The Eagles were perfect for him - he just walked on-stage and played. Don Felder famously got in a fight with Glenn Frey and ended up pouring a beer over his head.
It was Bernie Leadon that poured the beer over Glenn’s head, shortly before his exit from the band. Frey and Felder got into a fight over a concert benefitting CA gov Jerry Brown when Felder wasn’t enthusiastic enough about the cause, and that was about it for the Eagles first run.
Crap! Been too long since I read about it. Thanks.
If you can tolerate a 4 hour documentary, History of the Eagles is a pretty good watch. Shorter than that if you aren’t interested in the reunion stuff. It really reinforces the degree to which it was the Frey & Henley show and no-one else’s input mattered, leading to both of the referenced incidents as well as the conflict with Meisner.