January 12, 1998. It was a cold night in New York City. The Eagles (past and present) were gathered at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to be honored—Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, and Bernie Leadon, together, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This was the first year the band was eligible.
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The Beginning
The Eagles were one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. Five No. 1 albums yielded hit after hit. Producer John Boylan had put together musicians to back Linda Ronstadt in 1971. This was what brought Henley, Frey, and Leadon together. They backed the female singer on her first solo album and then split off to start their own project.
The first Eagles album was recorded in London, England. Each LP release was more successful than the last. By the time of the release of their fourth studio album, One of These Nights, they were riding so high that it didn’t seem they could possibly go higher. Then Asylum released Their Greatest Hits, a collection that would go on to sell 45 million copies (and counting as of 2020—it is the best-selling greatest hits album ever and the third-best-selling album, period, as of late 2023).
Hotel California followed, which brought another three hit singles. The band continued its success until infamously bitter inner turmoil broke the band up in 1980.
The Reunion
In 1993, Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles was released; it featured some of the biggest names in country music covering Eagles songs. Travis Tritt contributed “Take It Easy,” and asked the Eagles to appear in the music video. That led to the band formally reuniting in 1994. A tour was set up called Hell Freezes Over. The accompanying album debuted at No. 1, and the band continued to sell out venues worldwide. It was then announced that the band would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Buffett Inducted Them
The “Margaritaville” singer shared some memories before officially welcoming them to the Hall. A few highlights of his speech:
“New York in January, what the hell am I doing here? I’ve known the Eagles for nearly as long as they’ve been a band. I would simply like to point out that I was privileged enough to observe them from a number of vantage points. First, I was just a fan, like about a jillion other war babies in America in 1972.
“My second vantage point of the Eagles, which was a truly unique one, was as an opening act. I don’t remember how I got on the bill, but I was just excited to be there. I was an opening act prepared to receive my fair share of opening-act abuse. Don and Glenn walked in my dressing room, introduced themselves, and said how much they enjoyed my music. We did our opening number that night and actually drew a little polite applause from the crowd, and then I watched the pros from Dover light up the place. Over the next few years, our paths crossed quite frequently, and in 1977, we were once again asked to open the Hotel California tour. It was the little things I was privileged to witness backstage that helped me to survive and become a better performer. Having been treated so well by them instilled in me the same sentiments, which I hopefully have been able to pass on to other artists.
“They are as popular today as they were in that incredible summer back in 1972, and here I am still opening for this goddamn band. I’d like to introduce my friends and mentors, the Eagles.”
Performance
The band performed “Take It Easy” and “Hotel California.” It was the first and last time that those seven members performed together. They were the final act to perform that night and got a standing ovation.
[The Eagles Extend Farewell Tour into 2024 with Two Los Angeles Area Shows]
Dirty Boots
Don Henley was wearing a lucky pair of cowboy boots splattered with white paint. He had worn the boots onstage for his most memorable concerts since he purchased them in 1977.
Henley said, “I’ve been playing music in those boots for 30 years. They’re indestructible… and they’ve been around the world several times. I was wearing those boots when I painted the fence at my place in Colorado in 1982. The white paint is still on them.”
Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
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