Eagles is an American rock band. The band was founded in 1971 and, with a 14-year hiatus, is still performing.

The name refers to the American eagle, which is also the emblem of the United States. The album Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) was the best-selling album of all time in the United States until 2009, when it was surpassed by Michael Jackson’s Thriller following the pop star’s death.

The group formed in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. Initially, they existed as Linda Ronstadt’s backing band, but they soon spread their wings.

Their earliest music is a blend of country and bluegrass, mixed with the harmonies of Californian surf music. In this style, sensitive songs emerged about relationships, cars, and a nomadic life. The pioneers of this new genre were gifted singer-songwriters such as Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, and Warren Zevon, and bands like Buffalo Springfield and Poco.

From the subculture in and around Sunset Boulevard and The Valley in Los Angeles that formed around these composers, the Eagles distilled their own sound that became synonymous with the term Californian country rock.

On later albums by the group, bluegrass music was increasingly abandoned, and they transitioned to a more straightforward rock sound.

None of the four founders was born in California. Guitarist-keyboardist Glenn Frey fled the cold winters and the stifling music scene of his hometown Detroit and introduced a rhythm and blues sound.

Drummer Don Henley came from Texas and was nearly a graduate in English literature. Guitarist and mandolin and banjo player Bernie Leadon from Minnesota had a passion for country and bluegrass, which had a major influence on the band’s early sound.

Bassist Randy Meisner from Nebraska was a lover of cars and bicycles and actually preferred being with his family rather than spending his time playing bass in a rock band.

The band was formed in 1971, when John Boylan—Linda Ronstadt’s manager at the time—pulled Frey, Leadon, and Meisner away from their current commitments.

He wanted a permanent backing group centered around Ronstadt. The three were still missing a drummer until Frey called Henley, whom he had met at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

For two months, the Eagles formed the backing band for Ronstadt, but after the end of this tour, the men decided to continue as their own group.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia