LEGENDARY musician Randy Meisner was best known as a founding member of the '70s rock band the Eagles.
On July 26, 2023, the 77-year-old singer/songwriter passed away due to health complications.
Who was Randy Meisner?
Randall ' Randy' Herman Meisner was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on March 8, 1946.
He was a musician, singer, songwriter, and bassist known for co-founding the iconic rock band, the Eagles.
Randy along with Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Bernie Leadon formed the Los Angeles group back in 1971.
The Eagles have over 20million monthly listeners on Spotify and are best known for their songs Take It Easy and Hotel California.
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The band has reached a number of accolades over the years, including:
- Six GRAMMY Award wins
- Five American Music Award trophies
- Six number-one albums
- Five number-one singles
Randy passed away on July 26, 2023, due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
"Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band," the Eagles said in a brief statement.
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"His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit.'"
Who are Randy Meisner’s kids?
Randy was a father to three children, including a pair of twins, all of whom he shares with his first wife, Jennifer Lee Barton.
The pair got married in 1963 and had their first son, Dana Scott Meisner, in November of that same year.
In May 1970, Jennifer gave birth to twins Heather Leigh and Eric Shane Meisner.
Randy and Jennifer ended up divorcing in 1981.
The rock star later tied the knot with his girlfriend of twelve years, Lana Rae Meisner, in November 1996.
The couple were together up until her tragic death on March 6, 2016.
Why did Randy Meisner leave The Eagles?
Randy was known by fans for co-writing and singing the Eagles' hit song, Take It to the Limit.
However, it was also that exact song which made him want to leave his own band in 1977.
In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Randy admitted to developing anxiety around live performances.
“I was always kind of shy," he told the outlet. "They wanted me to stand in the middle of the stage to sing ‘Take It to the Limit,’ but I liked to be out of the spotlight.”
Tensions continued to escalate even after the band released the 1976 album, Hotel California, but reached a point of no return in 1997 at a concert in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Meisner recalled the moment in the 2004 Eagles biography, To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles, writing: “My ulcer was starting to act up, and I had a bad case of the flu as well.
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"Still, we all sounded great on stage, the audience loved the show, and we were being called back for another encore. ‘No way,’ I said. I was too sick and generally fed up. I decided I wasn’t going back out.”
Despite his departure in 1997, Randy reunited with the band during the 1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
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