A spirited blend of originality and the pursuit of excellence have taken Hotel California “A Salute to the Eagles” to a level of recognition normally reserved for Gold and Platinum recording artists.
By respectfully and accurately reproducing the Grammy award winning sounds of our generation's Greatest American Songbook, this legendary Southern California group has touched the hearts of fans all over the world.
The most successful and longest running show of its kind, Hotel California: "A Salute to the Eagles" is the ONLY show to have ever received official authorization to perform the Eagles catalog of music.
So join us on a trip down a dark desert highway...Feel the cool wind in your hair... It’s time to check into...The Hotel California!
BIOGRAPHY OF THE EAGLES
The Eagles were formed in 1971 by guitarist/singer Glenn Frey, drummer/singer Don Henley, guitarist/singer Bernie Leadon, and bassist/singer Randy Meisner. The initial idea was Frey's; when signed to Asylum by David Geffen, he was advised to form a group - and he did. He had been hired by Linda Ronstadt and her manager John Boylan to get together a group to back Ronstadt on tour. With an eye towards his future band, he approached Henley to be her drummer. With Boylan's help, Frey was also able to interest Leadon and Meisner, two other members of her touring band. In 1971, they played together for the first time at Disneyland, backing Ronstadt. They gelled so well that before long, the four guys were in Geffen's offices with Leadon asking the fateful question: "Do you want us or don't you?"
This project is supported by the Utah Arts Council, with funding from the State of Utah and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
Geffen signed them and hooked them up with famous producer Glyn Johns to record their first album Eagles (1972), which was done in London in less than three weeks. Johns guided them towards a country-rock sound that they would become famous for, producing the hits Take It Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling, and Witchy Woman.
Their second album Desperado (1973) was less successful, but artistically stronga concept "rockers as outlaws" album that was ahead of its time. It was their third album On the Border (1974), however, that produced their first number one hit: Best of My Love. That song would start a trend of number ones over the next six years. It was also during the making of On the Border when the Eagles switched producers from Johns to Bill Szymczyk, who gave them more freedom in their approach and was open to making the albums more "rocking." A late addition to the album was guitarist Don Felder, who joined the group officially after the album was released.
One of These Nights (1975) garnered them their first Grammy for the song Lyin' Eyes and the title track was their next number-one hit. Take It to the Limit from the album was their first gold record. The songwriting, especially in the cases of Frey and Henley, was growing in sophistication. Leadon had become disenchanted with the Eagles lifestyle and the direction they were taking, so he left the band and was replaced by renowned ex-James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh.
With Walsh on board, the group moved even closer to a hard rock sound with Hotel California (1976). They hit paydirt. The album was a massive success, second only to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours as the highest selling album of its time. It was a concept album detailing the dark desperation felt by those who had lived out
their every decadent wish and still remained unsatisfied. With its inspired vocals, brilliant musicianship, and pop-culture appeal, it spawned hit after hit after hit and guaranteed them a place in music history.
Unfortunately, egos, tensions, substance abuse and huge pressure to match and outpace the success of Hotel California led to more changes in band personnel as the years went by. The music-making process became an ordeal rather than a joy. Frey started to consider breaking up the band, and made the final decision to do so at a 1980 benefit show in Long Beach for Senator Alan Cranston when he and Don Felder ended up in a physical fight. That was it for Frey. He didn't even want to rejoin the band to mix the tracks for the Live album (1980), Fed-Ex-ing his parts to the studio instead. He called Henley and told him that he wanted to do his own thing for a while... and that was it. The Eagles were over. Or so everyone thought...
Then, in 1993, the Eagles got back together to appear in Travis Tritt's video for his cover of Take It Easy. Unlike an attempt to get the Eagles back together that had occurred in 1990, this one took. They "resumed" with Hell Freezes Over (1994), making a best-selling video as well as a live album. Their tour made more money than anyone had anticipated. The Eagles were back on the map.
When the tour ended in 1996, many wondered if the Eagles were also once again over. The next time they appeared, it was to be inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. All seven Eagles past and present performed. In 1999, the Eagles made plans to play several "Millennium" shows at the turn of the century. They recorded the shows and released them as part of a Selected Works Box Set (2000), which they would tour to promote. After the Millennium shows, however, Don Felder was fired over a disagreement about money. Still able to draw stadiumsized crowds, the Eagles continued to tour without Felder off and on. They released a single Hole in the World from their Very Best of the Eagles (2003) album, and then launched their Farewell 1 tour to promote it. This led to the filming of one of the tour's shows for release on DVD, Farewell 1: Live in Melbourne (2005).
In 2007, the Eagles put out a new studio album, their first in 28 years, called Long Road Out of Eden. It debuted at #1 on the charts, further proving the Eagles' enduring appeal. Additionally, the Eagles were critically recognized when I Dreamed There Was No War won a Grammy for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance." The band toured to support the album for several years, not only touring the typical stops but also places they had never been before such as South Africa, Dubai, and China. It was truly a worldwide endeavor.
Their next project was a documentary entitled “The History of the Eagles,” released in 2013. This documentary covered the band's career from its earliest days to the year of release. It included interviews with all members of the Eagles from every era as well as several of the people who worked with them and influenced them. Incorporating previously unreleased archival footage of live material and behind-the-scenes moments, it proved a treasure trove to fans interested in peeking into the past.
The Eagles's final tour was a worldwide promotion of their documentary and, to the delight of hardcore and casual fans alike, they included Bernie Leadon. It ended in 2015, at which point the Eagles were also awarded the highly prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.
On January 18, 2016, Glenn Frey passed away due to complications from a combination of rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia. With his death, the Eagles came to a halt - but their music will stay with us forever.
BAND LINE-UPS
1971-1974
Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner
1974-1976
Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, Don Felder
1976-1977
Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Don Felder, Joe Walsh
1977-1980; 1994-2000
Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit
2001-2016
Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit
THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING
FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE 2023 SEASON
EAGLES TRIVIA
1977 single Hotel California was ranked #6 on VH1's 100 Greatest Rock Songs.
Eagles are the third best-selling group in American history, with sales of 100,000,000 units. The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are first and second, respectively.
The band is ranked #23 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll.
The name "Eagles" was chosen for a variety of reasons - its association with Western mythology, freedom, Americana... and the fact that in Glenn's mind, it sounded like a sports team or a gang.
The concept album Desperado was inspired by a book about old West outlawsincluding photos of their corpses - that Glenn had received as a birthday present pre-Eagles fame.
The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is the best-selling record of all time.
The phrase "Life in the Fast Lane" was introduced into popular culture by the Eagles song.
The Eagles have won four Grammys. In 1975, Lyin' Eyes won Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus. In 1977, the single Hotel California won for record of the year, and New Kid in Town won Best Arrangement for Voices. In 1979, Heartache Tonight won Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus.
The Eagles have had five #1 hit singles: The Best of My Love, One of These Nights, Hotel California, New Kid in Town, and Heartache Tonight.
They had four consecutive #1 albums: One of These Nights, Their Greatest Hits 19711975, Hotel California, and The Long Run.
The "resumption" tour in 1994 was named Hell Freezes Over as a joking reference to what Don Henley used to tell people when they asked him if the Eagles would ever get back together.
The Eagles were inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, where for the only time to date, all seven present-and-former members performed together.
GLOW INSIDE + OUT
