Meisner, a bass player, joined Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Bernie
Leadon in forming the original Eagles lineup in 1971, performing
on classic albums such as "Eagles," "Desperado," "On the
Border," "One of These Nights" and "Hotel California."
He left the band at the height of its popularity in 1977,
shortly after the "Hotel California" album and single by the
same name became huge hits, but he was inducted along with all
seven Eagles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Internal strife led guitarist Leadon to quit the band in 1975,
when he was replaced by Joe Walsh, and Meisner quit two years
later, replaced by Timothy B. Schmit.
"The whole thing started to end when we started taking separate
limos," Meisner told Rolling Stone magazine.
Born on March 8, 1946, in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, Meisner was
also overwhelmed by the pressure, Rolling Stone said, as he
resisted his bandmates' requests to take center stage to sing
"Take It to the Limit" in concert.
"I liked to be out of the spotlight," Meisner said, according to
Rolling Stone. "One night in Knoxville, I stayed up late and got
the flu. We did two or three encores and Glenn wanted another
one. I told them I couldn't do it, and we got into a spat. That
was the end."
Years later, Meisner said he asked to sit in with the band for a
show in Los Angeles but was denied, he told Rolling Stone in
2008.
"I thought it would be nice to sit in with Timothy B. Schmit and
sing 'Take It to the Limit,' but they pretty much gave me a 'no'
in a round-about way. I can't blame them. They have to keep
their band the way it is," Meisner said.
Before the Eagles, he placed bass for Poco, and was also bassist
and vocalist with Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; edining by Diane Craft)
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