Eagles Continue to Soar
This American band still flies high fifty years later
Among American rock bands, one that stands head and shoulders above most in terms of records sold and longevity is Eagles. (As the late great Glenn Frey insisted, the band’s name omits “The” before “Eagles.”)
Formed in Los Angeles in 1971, Eagles has remained remarkably resilient, as evidenced by their current “residency” at the exclusive and unique Las Vegas entertainment venue, Sphere. The group just announced additional shows there through March 15, 2025.
According to William Ruhlmann, music critic, writer and rock biographer:
The Eagles are unquestionably the biggest mainstream American rock band to have emerged in the 1970s. Not only did they sell more records and concert tickets than their peers…but they captured the shifting zeitgeist of the ’70s, riding the country-rock hippie hangover at the end of the ’60s until it reached the slick, expensive, and expansive pop/rock of Southern California in the late ‘70s.
As with other extraordinary musicians, the original four members of Eagles were hatched to play back up to another rising star, Linda Rondstadt, in 1971. Glenn Frey (vocals/guitar), Don Henley (vocals/drums), Bernie Leadon (vocals/guitar) and Randy Meisner (vocals/bass) soon signed with Asylum records…
