The Fight That Broke Up The Eagles
Members of the American soft-rock ensemble The Eagles sit on chairs as the perform on the television show 'Don Kirschner's Rock Concert,' 1979. Bandmembers are (left to right) Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Don Felder. (Photo by Fotos International/Getty Images)
The Eagles, a Californian rock band known for their smooth and easy-listening music, surprisingly had a history of conflict between band members. Their breakup in 1980 was dramatic and unexpected.
The fight that started it all happened at a benefit concert for a California Senator. After the Senator’s wife thanked the band, one member, Don Felder, made a rude reply. This angered another member, Glenn Frey, who confronted Felder right then and there. The tension continued onstage during the concert, with both Frey and Felder making pointed remarks at each other between songs.
Things escalated near the end of the show. Frey threatened to beat Felder up after the concert. Felder responded that he wouldn’t wait that long. Although there was no physical fight, the tension was clear. Backstage, Felder smashed his guitar in frustration.
The bassist, Timothy Smith, later called Frey to see how things were going. Frey’s response was shocking: the band was over.
It took 14 years for the band to even consider reuniting. They eventually came together to record a compilation album, but tensions between Frey and Felder lingered. Sadly, the band’s original frontman, Glenn Frey, passed away three years ago.
While the exact reasons for the Eagles’ breakup remain somewhat unclear, this public fight served as a tipping point. It’s possible that underlying tensions and creative differences had been simmering for some time, and this incident simply brought them to a boil. The Eagles’ success was undeniable, but it seems the pressures of fame and creative collaboration ultimately proved too much for the band to overcome.
