Eagles Announces Deacon Frey Will Be Leaving The Band

The Eagles have announced that the son of late cofounder Glenn Frey, Deacon, will be officially leaving the band. Frey was not present on the latest leg of the band’s Hotel California tour which launched in February.

Before the trek, Eagles released a statement that Frey would not be participating the shows due to an undisclosed illness and that his return would “be based on his recovery and doctor’s recommendations.” Frey’s last tour with Eagles was in 2017, shortly after his father’s passing in 2016.

The new statement released by the band, which Don Henley also shared on Facebook, read:

“Deacon Frey has devoted the past four and a half years to carrying on his father’s legacy and, after some weeks of reflection, he now feels that it is time for him to forge his own path.

“We understand, completely, and we support him in whatever he wishes to pursue in the years ahead.”

The statement continued:

“In the wake of his dad’s demise, Deacon, at age 24, did an extraordinary thing by stepping from relative anonymity into the very public world of his father’s long illustrious career.

“We are grateful to Deacon for his admirable efforts and we wish him well as he charts his future. Deacon’s Eagles Family will always be here to surround him with love, support and goodwill, and he is always welcome to join us onstage at any future concerts if he so desires. We hope our fans will join us in wishing Deacon the very best as he moves into the next phase of his career.”

The now 28-year-old musician first caught Henley’s attention when he performed “Peaceful Easy Feeling” at his father’s memorial service. Henley shared:

“As difficult as that might have been, he was so brave and composed.

“I’m sure, on the inside, he was churning. After a few months went by I thought, ‘Why not see if he would like to be in the band?'”

In late May, Eagles will complete the U.S. leg of their Hotel California tour then will head to Europe in June for a handful of shows.