The man Don Henley called “Our Satan” and how he changed Eagles forever
Becoming one of the leading rock and roll figures is not for the faint of heart. Despite a lot of people loving the idea of touring the world and seeing places that most people only dream of, there are many opportunities for people to either wind up in a gutter or become a rock and roll casualty if they don’t have a good support system behind them. While Don Henley was always able to have his head screwed on when working with Eagles, he admitted that there were a few instances where he had some less-than-divine intervention on his side.
Granted, there had always been a sinister streak going throughout the country rockers’ careers. Even though they weren’t known to get into any hot water behind the scenes, there were still lunatics trying to accuse them of some sort of witchcraft, like when they jokingly referred to One of These Nights as their “Satanic period” and conspiracy theorists laying into the Hotel California back cover for clues that they are involved in Satanism.
But of all the bands to accuse of this kind of behaviour, why would you go after members of the Eagles? The band were known for the breeziest music of all time, and even if they knew how to kick things into high gear most of the time, the worst thing they were going to give their fans during their prime was a mild hangover the next morning after a night of drinks with friends.
Then again, no one gets the distinction of having the best-selling album of the 20th century without some help, and Irving Azoff was the person responsible for pushing back against everyone who gave them shit. Despite starting low on the totem pole when the band were making On the Border, Azoff’s knowledge of the music business made him absolutely cutthroat when it came to getting their publishing back.
Even when the band went their separate ways, Henley remembered Azoff could still be menacing with anyone who came their way. Outside of keeping up their legacy, Azoff defended Henley to the death, eventually working on a case where ‘Golden Throat’ was sued for millions of dollars after not getting the proper support he needed from Geffen Records.
Although Henley admits that Azoff can be more levelheaded these days, he didn’t hold back when talking about how vicious he could be during the band’s glory years, saying, “He’s Satan, but he’s our Satan. He’s mellowed. He used to be a holy terror. Some of that reputation is undeserved. He’ll go to the mat for his artists. But if you’re the enemy – look out.”
While anyone would have been a little bit self-conscious about that kind of remark, Azoff remembered feeling a sense of pride in being that determined, saying, “Name me anyone in this industry who’s made too many friends, and I’ll show you someone who’s sold out their artist and done a crappy job. If anything, [Henley’s remark] was more-or-less a reminder of a job well done.”
It’s not always the best way to make friends in the industry, but Azoff knew enough to realise that there was a difference between genuine and professional relationships. It’s one thing to have a lot of friends in high places, but any good manager knows that when someone tries to take a bite of their artist, it’s their duty to bite back even harder.
