‘Take It to the Limit’ singer, Eagles’ founding member Randy Meisner dies at 77

By Associated Press

NEW YORK: Randy Meisner, a founding member of the Eagles who added excessive harmonies to such favourites as “Take It Easy” and “The Best of My Love” and stepped out entrance for the waltz-time ballad “Take It to the Limit,” has died, the band stated on Thursday.

Meisner died on Wednesday evening in Los Angeles of problems from power obstructive pulmonary illness, the Eagles stated in an announcement. He was 77.

The bassist had endured quite a few afflictions in recent times and a private tragedy in 2016 when his spouse, Lana Rae Meisner, by chance shot herself and died. Meanwhile, Randy Meisner had been recognized with bipolar dysfunction and had extreme points with alcohol, in keeping with courtroom data and feedback made throughout a 2015 listening to by which a choose ordered Meisner to obtain fixed medical care.

Called “the sweetest man in the music business” by former bandmate Don Felder, the baby-faced Meisner joined Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon within the early Nineteen Seventies to kind a quintessential Los Angeles band and probably the most fashionable acts in historical past.

“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band,” the Eagles’ assertion stated. “His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit.’”

The band stated funeral plans have been pending.

Evolving from nation rock to onerous rock, the Eagles turned out a run of hit singles and albums over the following decade, beginning with “Take It Easy” and persevering with with “Desperado,” “Hotel California” and “Life In the Fast Lane” amongst others. Although chastised by many critics as slick and superficial, the Eagles launched two of the preferred albums of all time, “Hotel California” and “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975),” with gross sales at 38 million the Recording Industry Association of America ranked with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” because the No. 1 vendor.

Led by singer-songwriters Henley and Frey, the Eagles have been initially branded as “mellow” and “easy listening.” But by their third album, the 1974 launch “On the Border,” that they had added a rock guitarist, Felder, and have been turning away from nation and bluegrass.

Leadon, an old school bluegrass picker, was sad with the brand new sound and left after the 1975 album “One of These Nights.” (He was changed by one other rock guitarist, Joe Walsh.) Meisner stayed on by the 1976 launch of “Hotel California,” the band’s most acclaimed report, however was gone quickly after. His departure, mockingly, was touched off by the tune he co-wrote and was greatest recognized for, “Take It to the Limit.”

A shy Nebraskan is torn between fame and household life, Meisner had been sick and homesick in the course of the “Hotel California” tour (his first marriage was breaking apart) and was reluctant to have the highlight for “Take It to the Limit,” a showcase for his nasally tenor. His objections throughout a Knoxville, Tennessee, live performance in the summertime of 1977 so angered Frey that the 2 argued backstage and Meisner left quickly after. His alternative, Timothy B. Schmit, remained with the group over the next a long time, together with Henley, Walsh and Frey, who died in 2016.

As a solo artist, Meisner by no means approached the success of the Eagles, however did have hits with “Hearts On Fire” and “Deep Inside My Heart” and performed on data by Walsh, James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg amongst others. Meanwhile, the Eagles ended a 14-year hiatus in 1994 and toured with Schmit regardless that Meisner had performed on all however one in every of their earlier studio albums. He did be part of group members previous and current in 1998 after they have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and carried out “Take It Easy” and “Hotel California.” For a decade, he was a part of World Classic Rockers, a touring act that at numerous occasions included Donovan, Spencer Davis and Denny Laine.

Meisner was married twice, the primary time when he was nonetheless in his teenagers, and had three children.

The son of sharecroppers and grandson of a classical violinist, Meisner was enjoying in native bands as a youngster and by the tip of the Sixties had moved to California and joined a rustic rock group, Poco, together with Richie Furay and Jimmy Messina. But he would bear in mind being angered that Furay wouldn’t let him take heed to the studio mixture of their first album and left the group earlier than it got here out: His successor was Timothy B. Schmit.

Meisner backed Ricky Nelson, performed on Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” album and befriended Henley and Frey when all have been performing in Linda Ronstadt’s band. With Ronstadt’s blessing, they shaped the Eagles, have been signed up by David Geffen for his Asylum Records label and launched their self-titled debut album in 1972.

Frey and Henley sang lead more often than not, however Meisner was the important thing behind “Take It the Limit.” It appeared on the “One of These Nights” album from 1975 and have become a high 5 single, a weary, plaintive tune later lined by Etta James and as a duet by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

Meisner’s falsetto voice was so distinctive it turned a defining half not solely of the Eagles however the complete California sound.

Meisner’s “high harmonies are instantly recognizable and cherished by Eagles fans around the world,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stated in an announcement.

In a pair of 2015 episodes of the parody collection “Documentary Now!” a couple of faux-Eagles band, Bill Hader’s moustachioed, ultra-high-voiced character is clearly impressed by Meisner.

“The purpose of the whole Eagles thing to me was that combination and the chemistry that made all the harmonies just sound perfect,” Meisner instructed the music web site www.lobstergottalent.com in 2015. “The funny thing is after we made those albums I never listened to them and it is only when someone comes over or I am at somebody’s house and it gets played in the background that is when I’ll tell myself, ‘Damn, these records are good.’”

NEW YORK: Randy Meisner, a founding member of the Eagles who added excessive harmonies to such favourites as “Take It Easy” and “The Best of My Love” and stepped out entrance for the waltz-time ballad “Take It to the Limit,” has died, the band stated on Thursday.

Meisner died on Wednesday evening in Los Angeles of problems from power obstructive pulmonary illness, the Eagles stated in an announcement. He was 77.

The bassist had endured quite a few afflictions in recent times and a private tragedy in 2016 when his spouse, Lana Rae Meisner, by chance shot herself and died. Meanwhile, Randy Meisner had been recognized with bipolar dysfunction and had extreme points with alcohol, in keeping with courtroom data and feedback made throughout a 2015 listening to by which a choose ordered Meisner to obtain fixed medical care.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Called “the sweetest man in the music business” by former bandmate Don Felder, the baby-faced Meisner joined Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon within the early Nineteen Seventies to kind a quintessential Los Angeles band and probably the most fashionable acts in historical past.

“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band,” the Eagles’ assertion stated. “His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit.’”

The band stated funeral plans have been pending.

Evolving from nation rock to onerous rock, the Eagles turned out a run of hit singles and albums over the following decade, beginning with “Take It Easy” and persevering with with “Desperado,” “Hotel California” and “Life In the Fast Lane” amongst others. Although chastised by many critics as slick and superficial, the Eagles launched two of the preferred albums of all time, “Hotel California” and “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975),” with gross sales at 38 million the Recording Industry Association of America ranked with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” because the No. 1 vendor.

Led by singer-songwriters Henley and Frey, the Eagles have been initially branded as “mellow” and “easy listening.” But by their third album, the 1974 launch “On the Border,” that they had added a rock guitarist, Felder, and have been turning away from nation and bluegrass.

Leadon, an old school bluegrass picker, was sad with the brand new sound and left after the 1975 album “One of These Nights.” (He was changed by one other rock guitarist, Joe Walsh.) Meisner stayed on by the 1976 launch of “Hotel California,” the band’s most acclaimed report, however was gone quickly after. His departure, mockingly, was touched off by the tune he co-wrote and was greatest recognized for, “Take It to the Limit.”

A shy Nebraskan is torn between fame and household life, Meisner had been sick and homesick in the course of the “Hotel California” tour (his first marriage was breaking apart) and was reluctant to have the highlight for “Take It to the Limit,” a showcase for his nasally tenor. His objections throughout a Knoxville, Tennessee, live performance in the summertime of 1977 so angered Frey that the 2 argued backstage and Meisner left quickly after. His alternative, Timothy B. Schmit, remained with the group over the next a long time, together with Henley, Walsh and Frey, who died in 2016.

As a solo artist, Meisner by no means approached the success of the Eagles, however did have hits with “Hearts On Fire” and “Deep Inside My Heart” and performed on data by Walsh, James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg amongst others. Meanwhile, the Eagles ended a 14-year hiatus in 1994 and toured with Schmit regardless that Meisner had performed on all however one in every of their earlier studio albums. He did be part of group members previous and current in 1998 after they have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and carried out “Take It Easy” and “Hotel California.” For a decade, he was a part of World Classic Rockers, a touring act that at numerous occasions included Donovan, Spencer Davis and Denny Laine.

Meisner was married twice, the primary time when he was nonetheless in his teenagers, and had three children.

The son of sharecroppers and grandson of a classical violinist, Meisner was enjoying in native bands as a youngster and by the tip of the Sixties had moved to California and joined a rustic rock group, Poco, together with Richie Furay and Jimmy Messina. But he would bear in mind being angered that Furay wouldn’t let him take heed to the studio mixture of their first album and left the group earlier than it got here out: His successor was Timothy B. Schmit.

Meisner backed Ricky Nelson, performed on Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” album and befriended Henley and Frey when all have been performing in Linda Ronstadt’s band. With Ronstadt’s blessing, they shaped the Eagles, have been signed up by David Geffen for his Asylum Records label and launched their self-titled debut album in 1972.

Frey and Henley sang lead more often than not, however Meisner was the important thing behind “Take It the Limit.” It appeared on the “One of These Nights” album from 1975 and have become a high 5 single, a weary, plaintive tune later lined by Etta James and as a duet by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

Meisner’s falsetto voice was so distinctive it turned a defining half not solely of the Eagles however the complete California sound.

Meisner’s “high harmonies are instantly recognizable and cherished by Eagles fans around the world,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stated in an announcement.

In a pair of 2015 episodes of the parody collection “Documentary Now!” a couple of faux-Eagles band, Bill Hader’s moustachioed, ultra-high-voiced character is clearly impressed by Meisner.

“The purpose of the whole Eagles thing to me was that combination and the chemistry that made all the harmonies just sound perfect,” Meisner instructed the music web site www.lobstergottalent.com in 2015. “The funny thing is after we made those albums I never listened to them and it is only when someone comes over or I am at somebody’s house and it gets played in the background that is when I’ll tell myself, ‘Damn, these records are good.’”