Glenn Frey and the Firing of Randy Meisner: Inside the Tensions That Shook The Eagles
Behind the soaring harmonies and California cool of The Eagles was a band often teetering on the edge of implosion. And few episodes in the group’s turbulent history were as emotionally charged as the departure of founding bassist and vocalist Randy Meisner—a split that was driven, in part, by growing tensions with Glenn Frey.
Randy Meisner, known for his angelic high tenor and for singing lead on the timeless ballad “Take It to the Limit,” had been with the Eagles since their 1971 formation. His voice and bass playing were essential to the band’s early sound. But by the time of their 1976–77 Hotel California tour, cracks were beginning to show—particularly between Meisner and Frey.
The breaking point? According to band insiders and Meisner himself, it revolved around “Take It to the Limit.” Fans adored the song and expected it at every show, but Meisner, suffering from vocal fatigue, anxiety, and exhaustion, often resisted performing it live—especially hitting the demanding high note at the climax. Frey, known for his perfectionism and intensity, reportedly pushed Meisner hard to deliver night after night.
One fateful night in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1977, their tension boiled over. Meisner once again declined to sing his signature song. Frey was furious. According to Meisner, the two got into a heated argument backstage that nearly turned physical. Not long after, Meisner quit—or was pushed out, depending on who you ask.
“I was tired of the arguing,” Meisner said years later. “I just wanted some peace. I never liked the spotlight, and Glenn was very driven. It got to the point where I felt like I didn’t belong anymore.”
Glenn Frey, for his part, acknowledged the tensions but stood by his standards. “We wanted to give the audience everything they came for,” Frey once said. “It wasn’t personal—it was about the show.”
Meisner’s departure marked the end of an era for The Eagles. He was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, the same musician who had once taken his place in Poco years earlier. The band would go on to even greater commercial success, but many fans still feel the loss of Meisner’s voice—especially the vulnerable purity he brought to songs like “Try and Love Again” and “Take It to the Limit.”
In later years, Meisner and the band reconciled emotionally, though he was never fully reintegrated. The 1994 Hell Freezes Over reunion did not include him, and while he was invited to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1998, he never again became a regular part of the group.
The story of Randy Meisner’s exit is a reminder of the cost of greatness, and of how ambition, exhaustion, and clashing personalities can fracture even the most beautiful harmony.
And though Meisner may have walked away from the spotlight, his voice—and the emotion he gave to the Eagles’ early sound—remains irreplaceable.