Don Felder Shares Glenn Frey’s Chilling Warning About ‘Hotel California’

Nearly five decades after the release of Hotel California, the Eagles’ guitarist Don Felder is shedding new light on the weight of success — and the toll it took behind the scenes.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Felder opened up about the creative and emotional aftermath of one of rock’s most iconic albums, offering a rare glimpse into the internal struggles that would shape the Eagles’ later years.

“We Created a Monster”

When asked whether the band felt pressure following Hotel California’s runaway success, Felder recalled a brutally honest assessment from his late bandmate Glenn Frey.

“I think Glenn [Frey] said it best when he said we ‘created a monster with Hotel California, and it ate us,’” Felder told Guitar World.

That “monster” came with expectations that were nearly impossible to match. Felder described how the band became obsessed with pushing their sound to new levels of polish and complexity — a pursuit that ultimately began to backfire.

“We were trying to get back up over the bar because we had raised the bar every album with the songwriting, performance, vocals and guitars,” he said. “It was more and more refined toward being spotlessly perfect.”

Creative Highs, Personal Lows

While Hotel California secured the Eagles’ place in music history, its legacy was also marked by growing tension — particularly between Felder and Frey. As the band pushed to maintain their momentum, personal relationships began to unravel.

According to Guitar Player, the friction boiled over during a 1980 benefit concert for Senator Alan Cranston. Backstage, Frey reportedly threatened Felder, highlighting just how far their working relationship had deteriorated.

These clashes would become emblematic of the band’s internal power struggles. By 2001, the situation had reached a breaking point, resulting in Felder’s dismissal from the Eagles — a move that sparked lawsuits over royalties and wrongful termination, as documented by Wikipedia.

No Reconciliation

Despite their musical legacy, Felder and Frey never mended their relationship. In a reflection shared with Far Out Magazine, Felder expressed regret over their unresolved conflict before Frey’s passing in 2016.

The guitarist’s recent comments serve as a candid reminder of the darker side of fame. The Eagles’ pursuit of perfection may have driven them to the top — but, as Felder suggests, it also pushed them apart.

What began as a creative dream eventually became a battleground, where ambition, ego, and pressure collided in ways that would define the band’s legacy long after the music faded.