July 28 (UPI) — Randy Meisner, a founding member of the iconic 1970s rock band the Eagles, has died, the group announced online. He was 77.
Meisner died Wednesday night in Los Angeles from complications caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the Eagles said Thursday in a statement.
“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band,” the group said.
Born March 8, 1946, in Scottsbluff, Neb., Meisner was one of four original members of the Eagles, a rock band formed in 1971 that would go on to create such hits as “Hotel California,” “Take It Easy” and others that would help to define the sound of the 1970s.
Meisner, who left the band in 1977, helped create some of their best-known albums, including Eagles, Desperado, On The Border, One of the Nights and Hotel California.
According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is not only the first record to ever go certified platinum but is among the best-selling albums in history.
Meisner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the band in 1998.
Following the announcement of Meisner’s death, notes of condolence were shared by fellow musicians online.
“Sorry to hear Eagles musician Randy Meisner has left us,” Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive tweeted. “He was an incredible singer, songwriter and bassist. Peace to his friends and family.”
Jim Messina similarly mourned Meisner’s death, posting pictures of himself with the former Eagles bassist to the platform.
“I’m so grateful of the times that we spent together in the 60s and once again in the late 80s,” he said. “Most of all, I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to see him for the last time…”
His death follows that of his wife, Lana Rae Meisner, who died in an accidental shooting inside their Los Angeles home in 2016.
Glenn Frey, another of the Eagle’s founding members, died at the age of 67 in 2016 due to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.
