Don Henley on the fear that came with the Eagles’ success: “We were tough”
Like many aspiring musicians, Don Henley experienced a pivotal moment when he witnessed The Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show. Although he experienced what could only be described as raw creative motivation as part of Linda Ronstadt’s backing band, the moment he formed the Eagles with Glenn Frey meant success was just around the corner.
There are many ways that the Henley impacted the vast musical scene as an integral part of the Eagles, but there’s something about The Long Goodbye Tour that feels deeply profound when looking back at the band’s legacy. Despite the promise that they will embark on the touring circuit with one final goodbye to remember, one thing’s certain: the Eagles’ legacy isn’t going anywhere.
The Eagles have been on the road for some 50 years, and during those years, the members have enjoyed and endured “keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds”. Alongside the “losses”, however, there have been monumental milestones and causes for celebration, more than many other acts could ever dream of.
In fact, the popularity of the Eagles continues to soar even decades after their dissolution, which shows nothing if not a true testament to their musical odyssey and their ability to transcend generations, not to mention a solid basis for anything and everything Henley would do forever thereafter. As he put it: “It was becoming increasingly apparent to me that, no matter where I went or what I did, for the rest of my life, I would always be an Eagle”.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, however, such an enduring legacy isn’t always easy to stomach or digest, particularly in the early days when successes came thick and fast. During these times, Henley often became haunted by the idea that when you fly high, the inevitability of crashing down looms closer. “It was scary,” he told Rahni Sadler in 2017. “Sometimes success can be just as frightening, if not more frightening than failure.”
Elaborating further, he detailed the nature of success, explaining that “sometimes there’s the pressure on you to repeat [that success], to stay there. [It’s] not all that difficult to get fame, to get to the top of the mountain, it’s just tough to stay there.”
However, despite the strenuous concerns, he added, “We were tough kids and resilient,” meaning that whatever challenges they encountered, they always knew they would emerge from the other side relatively unscathed.
Even after losing Frey in 2016, it only becomes clearer with time that the Eagles is a band for the ages, one that will live on for a long time after the members play their final notes. As they said following the announcement of The Long Goodbye Tour, “We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed”.
