Why the Eagles owe their existence to Disneyland
French philosopher Jean Baudrillard once famously declared that America is “no longer real”, and that Disneyland is the true, hyper-real spirit of the nation. If there is truth in that postmodern commentary, then it would certainly explain why the Eagles are among the most distinctly American bands of all time.
Arguably the most iconic, and certainly one of the most commercially successful, of America’s classic rock output, the Eagles have sold an eye-watering amount of records over the decades, striking upon beloved classics like ‘Hotel California’ along the way.
Their heyday might have been 50 years ago, at this point, but Don Henley and Glenn Frey’s outfit still form the backbone of virtually all American mainstream, middle-of-the-road soft rock. Fittingly, then, they owe their existence to another American institution.
Disney’s influence, like the Eagles, is utterly unavoidable in American society. If it isn’t the studios monopoly on film and the entertainment world, churning out a deluge of blockbuster films with equally successful soundtracks and, more importantly, endless reams of merchandise, then it is Disney’s various colossal theme parks that permeate through American culture.
From its opening in 1955, California’s Disneyland has been right up there with apple pie, government corruption, and police brutality as a cornerstone of American culture and society. In 1971, however, the theme park took a break from its mascot parades and capitalist mouse worship to host a concert by Linda Ronstadt, as part of the park’s long-running ‘Grad Nite’ celebrations for local high school students.
At the time, Ronstadt was in dire need of a solid backing band, and so her manager, John Boylan, called upon two local and relatively unknown musicians, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. In the years that followed, those two musicians would unite into one of the most successful soft rock outfits to ever grace the airwaves, but their first time performing together was on that fateful night in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
Although if would have made for a much more DIsney-fied experience had the two musicians suddenly sparked together onstage, realising their unbridled potential and vowing immediately to unite under one banner, that inaugural gig in 1971 was – for the most part – a fairly uneventful show for two jobbing musicians.
Seemingly, though, the famed magic of Disneyland did have some effect on the backing band. Not only did the pairing aid Linda Ronstadt during an incredibly pivotal period in his extensive and illustrious career as a solo artist, but they also made the very wise decision to splinter off after a short while. Only a few months on from that Mickey-financed gig, Frey and Henley informed Ronstadt that they were leaving to form their own group, the Eagles.
It is fair to say that, within a few years, the Eagles had eclipsed their theme park origins, particularly when they descended into the throes of drug-addled feuds and unending ego battles – neither of which are a staple of the ‘Happiest Place On Earth’.
Regardless of their later careers, though, the Eagles always owed a core part of their origin story to Mickey Mouse, and perhaps that is reflected in their inherently Americanised sound.
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