Joe Walsh has paid tribute to former Eagles bassist Randy Meisner, saying it was “an honor and privilege to share the stage with Randy. He was a great guy with an unforgettable voice. Here's to always being a dreamer,...
Original Eagles bassist Randy Meisner died last night (Wednesday) at the age of 77. He battled health issues for the past two decades following two heart attacks in 2004.
The Eagles release a statement saying the cause of his death was "complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and noted, “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’.”
He was inducted with the Eagles into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Funeral arrangements are pending.
- Born Randall Herman Meisner on March 8th, 1946 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
- Moved to L.A. in 1966 with a band that eventually came to be known as The Poor.
- In 1968, became the original bassist of Poco.
- Left Poco after playing on their debut album, Pickin' Up the Pieces. Coincidentally, he was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who later replaced him again in the Eagles.
- Joined Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band in 1969 and also did sessions, including playing on a couple of songs on James Taylor's Sweet Baby James.
- Joined Linda Ronstadt's backing band in 1971, along with Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon.
- They soon left to start the Eagles.
- Played bass on the first five Eagles albums -- up through and including Hotel California.
- Signature song with the Eagles is "Take It to the Limit," which he began writing, before handing it off to Henley and Frey to finish. He sang lead on the song, which peaked at number-four on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Shy by nature, he was unhappy having to take the spotlight to sing the song in concert. Along with other factors, it led to his departure from the group in 1977.
- He released solo albums in 1978, '80 and '82, with the cuts "Hearts on Fire," "Deep Inside My Heart" (a duet with Kim Carnes) and "Never Been in Love" all reaching the Top 30.
- Was not included in the Eagles plans for their 1994 Hell Freezes Over reunion tour, and expressed disappointment over it.
- Joined the Eagles for their 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, during which they performed "Take It Easy" and "Hotel California." Schmit paid tribute to Meisner in his acceptance speech.
- Wanted to take part in the Eagles' New Year's Eve 1999 Millennium Concert at L.A.'s Staples Center, but his overtures to the band were rebuffed.
- Recorded a trio album with Billy Swan and Alan Rich in 2001, which would be the last album of new material he would appear on.
- Suffered a pair of minor heart attacks in 2004 that would eventually lead to his retirement from performing.
- In 2015, a friend of his filed suit to have him placed under court conservatorship, claiming that Meisner's wife was force feeding him alcohol to keep him drunk. It resulted only in a temporary court conservatorship that was later withdrawn.
- In 2016, his wife Lana accidentally shot and killed herself when a rifle she was moving was struck by an object in its case and fired. Meisner was cleared by a surveillance tape of having any role in the shooting,
- In the pandemic year of 2020, he made a pair of appearances on livestreams by former Buffalo Springfield member Richie Furay, which would be his last time seen by the public.
- He is survived by three children -- two boys and a girl -- from his first wife, Jennifer.