According to mainstay member Don Henley, The Eagles are officially finished. Henley made the statement in a recent interview with the BBC.
“That was the final farewell,” Henley said. “I don’t think you’ll see us performing again. I think that was probably it. I think it was an appropriate farewell.”
Henley was of course referencing the band’s tribute to recently deceased founding member Glenn Frey, who passed away in January at the age of 67. The tribute performance appeared at this year’s Grammy Awards, where the remaining members played alongside Jackson Browne.
As it stands, The Eagles released seven LP’s throughout their career, with their most recent one, Long Road Out of Eden being released in 2007. Factor in several live albums, and countless smash hits during their heyday in the 70’s such as “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, “Hotel California” and “Take It Easy”, and it would be difficult to not rank them among classic rock’s most commercially successful acts. The band has sold 150 million albums worldwide to date.
Henley’s announcement probably came at the right time. There’s simply just not much more the band could do at this point that would advance their career. With Frey’s recent death, continuing to tour and release new music just wasn’t going to be in the cards. Fans should keep an eye out for any side projects the remaining members partake in.
Without question, The Eagles will be remembered as one of the hallmarks of 70’s songwriting, and as one of the most commercially viable acts in music history.