Founding Eagle Randy Meisner Remains Largely MIA

Conspicuously absent from the Grammy Awards tribute to Glenn Frey on February 15, 2016, was the band’s original bassist – and singer/co-writer of the group’s 1976 #4 hit song “Take It to the Limit” – Randy Meisner. The former Eagle (who left the band in 1977) made news the previous July when he was placed under 24/7 court-ordered supervision following murder and suicide threats he made earlier in 2015 during a hospital stay.

Meisner, born March 8, 1946, has rarely been heard from since commenting on Frey’s death in January 2016. “I couldn’t believe he went so quick,” he told New York’s Daily News. “When I heard… I started crying for a long time. You’re like brothers in a band like that. Sometimes we got in arguments, but it was like a marriage, we all loved each other. I sure will miss the guy.

“He was so energetic and full of life. He has his children, I was so happy for him. It’s really sad,” Meisner added.

He had hoped to reunite with his fellow bandmates in December 2015 when they were slated to receive Kennedy Center Honors in Washington. But Frey’s health issues led the band to postpone. “I was looking forward to this one. I was going to go to the Kennedy awards and was thinking, ‘Man this could be the last time we’ll all be together.’ Now that really hurts my heart that we couldn’t be together one more time,” Meisner lamented.

Several months later, Meisner’s wife, Lana Rae Meisner, was found dead by police from a gunshot to the head on March 6, 2016, at the couple’s Studio City, Calif. home. The Los Angeles Police Department subsequently confirmed her death was accidental.

Later in 2016, the Kennedy Center announced that the band was selected as one of that year’s honorees. Conspicuously missing from the list were former Eagles Don Felder, Meisner and Bernie Leadon.

Eagles’ Leadon, Meisner, Henley and Frey, Sept. 1973 (Photo © Henry Diltz; used with permission)

Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter wrote, “The Kennedy Center consulted with the Eagles and through that discussion, it was determined that the four band members–Don Henley, the late Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit, and Joe Walsh–who ‘carried the torch’ will be awarded the Honors.”

Her statement went on to note: “This determination does not discredit the contributions of former band members.”

Although it had been decades since Meisner left the group, his former bandmates displayed an impressive loyalty to him when the bass player underwent a lengthy hospitalization in 2013 and 2014. “I aspirated some food into my throat and choked,” he explains. “I was in a coma for a little while, too. They paid for everything, me being in the hospital.”

Listen to Meisner sing lead on “Take It to the Limit”

In November 2018, Meisner attended Richie Furay’s concert at the iconic Los Angeles venue, the Troubadour. However, he stayed backstage and did not perform.

Meisner joined “Joe Walsh’s Old Fashioned Rock N’ Roll Radio Show” on November 28, 2020, and talked about the band’s early days. Regrettably, there was no discussion of what the bassist had been doing in recent years.

Listen to the complete interview, beginning at the six-minute mark

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