130 Fun Facts About The Eagles Trivia (Band)

In which city did the Eagles form in 1971?

The four founders had all been playing behind the same singer, and played live together behind her only once, at Disneyland.

Which singer's backing band brought the four founding Eagles together?

Frey credited her with suggesting the band's banjo player; all four played on her self-titled 1972 album.

Which label, newly started by David Geffen, signed the Eagles in 1971?

Geffen bought out Frey and Henley's contracts with Amos Records and sent the band to Aspen to develop.

Under what name did the band play its first show in Aspen in October 1971?

They had not yet settled on a name; the Eagles idea came on a peyote-and-tequila trip in the Mojave Desert.

Which comedian, a Troubadour friend, claims he suggested calling them "the Eagles"?

Frey insists the group's name is simply "Eagles", with no "the".

Which of these was NOT one of the four founding members?

He arrived in 1975 as Leadon's replacement; Don Felder had joined as the fifth Eagle in 1974.

Which instrument did Henley play in the band?

He sang lead on "Hotel California", "Desperado", "Witchy Woman" and "The Long Run" from behind the kit.

Who produced the Eagles' first two albums in England?

He is credited with shaping them into the country-rock band with those high-flying harmonies.

At which London studio was the debut album Eagles recorded?

It reached number 22 and gave the band three Top 40 singles.

Who co-wrote "Take It Easy" with Frey?

Browne had stalled on the second verse; Frey finished it, and Browne then completed the song.

Which Arizona town, name-checked in "Take It Easy", built a statue and park in the song's honour?

Frey said the verse referred to a long day Browne spent there after his car broke down on a trip to Sedona.

What chart position did "Take It Easy" reach on the Billboard Hot 100?

"Witchy Woman" then went to 9 and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" to 22.

Who wrote "Peaceful Easy Feeling"?

He wrote an early version on the back of a gig poster after sleeping on the floor of a club in El Centro.

Which Eagle co-wrote "Witchy Woman" with Henley?

He had started it while still in the Flying Burrito Brothers; it was Henley's only writing credit on the debut.

Which British prog band did the Eagles support on the Close to the Edge tour?

Don Felder first jammed with the band backstage at one of those shows, in Boston in 1972.

What theme runs through the second album, Desperado?

The band drew comparisons between outlaw gangs and rock stars, and posed as a gang on the cover.

Which outlaw's age during the Coffeyville raid gave the Desperado song "Twenty-One" its title?

He was shot 23 times in the 1892 raid and survived; Leadon wrote the song.

What is unique about the Desperado cover among Eagles albums?

They are dressed as an outlaw gang; the back shows them lying dead and bound before a posse.

How high did the title track "Desperado" climb on the Hot 100?

Even so, it became one of the band's best-known songs and their most-performed live.

Whose recording of "Georgia On My Mind" inspired the piano introduction of "Desperado"?

Henley based the song on one he had started in 1968 in the style of Stephen Foster, originally about a friend named Leo.

What position did the Desperado album peak at on the Billboard chart?

Its singles "Tequila Sunrise" and "Outlaw Man" only reached 64 and 59.

Which producer took over from the English producer during On the Border?

He wanted a harder-edged guitarist for "Good Day in Hell", which is how Don Felder came in.

What nickname did Frey give Felder at their first backstage jam?

Felder was Leadon's childhood friend from Gainesville High School.

Which song became the Eagles' first US number-one single in March 1975?

Frey found the tune while fooling with a guitar tuning Joni Mitchell had shown him.

Which Tom Waits song did the Eagles cover on On the Border?

The album also included "James Dean", left over from the anti-heroes concept that became Desperado.

Who filled in on piano and guitar when Felder missed the 1974 California Jam for his son's birth?

The festival drew more than 300,000 and was billed as the Woodstock of the West Coast.

Which album became the Eagles' first US number-one album in 1975?

It made them international superstars and was the first of four consecutive chart-toppers.

Which song won the Eagles their first Grammy?

It reached number 2 and was also their only Top 40 country hit until "How Long" in 2007.

At which LA bar did Frey and Henley get the idea for their song about a cheating wife?

They spotted a beautiful young woman with a much older wealthy man, and Frey supplied the title.

Which is the only Eagles single to feature Meisner on lead vocals?

His struggle to hit its high notes on stage led directly to his leaving the band.

Which Leadon instrumental became the theme for the BBC's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

He wrote "I Wish You Peace" on the same album with his girlfriend Patti Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter.

What did Leadon famously do to Frey shortly before quitting the band?

He told Frey to chill out; his departure was announced in December 1975 after months of denials.

Who replaced Leadon in 1975?

Henley in particular worried he was too wild for the band; he had fronted a hit Ohio band and then Barnstorm.

What is the best-selling album in United States history?

It has been certified 40 times platinum; Thriller passed it after Michael Jackson's death but it regained the title in 2018.

Their Greatest Hits was the first album to receive which new RIAA award in 1976?

The award recognised albums shipping at least one million copies.

Which landmark was photographed at sunset for the cover of the band's 1976 album?

David Alexander shot it just before sunset; designer Kosh airbrushed the neon-style logo.

Who wrote the music for "Hotel California"?

He demoed it in a rented Malibu house with a drum machine and a 12-string; Henley and Frey wrote the words.

What was the working title of "Hotel California"?

Henley said the demo sounded like a Mexican reggae or bolero.

What key was "Hotel California" finally recorded in after being lowered for Henley's voice?

Felder progressively lowered it from E minor; the second recording was then judged too fast.

How many edits did Szymczyk say were on the two-inch master of "Hotel California"?

The best parts of five or six complete Miami takes were spliced together.

Which guitars did Walsh and Felder use for the "Hotel California" duel?

Getting the harmonised parts precise took the two of them about three days sitting together.

Why was the label reluctant to release "Hotel California" as a single?

The band refused to shorten it, and it went to number one anyway.

Readers of which magazine voted the "Hotel California" solo the best of all time in 1998?

The coda runs two minutes and twelve seconds with Felder and Walsh trading leads.

Which Grammy did "Hotel California" win in 1978?

The album itself was nominated for Album of the Year but lost.

Which album beat Hotel California to the Album of the Year Grammy?

Hotel California still sold more than 32 million copies worldwide.

What was the first single from Hotel California?

It became the band's third number one and won a Grammy for its vocal arrangement.

Which unusual Mexican bass does Meisner play on "New Kid in Town"?

JD Souther wrote the chorus first and the trio finished it during the Hotel California sessions.

Where did Frey get the title "Life in the Fast Lane"?

The riff came from Joe Walsh warming up at rehearsal; the band told him to keep it.

Which band, who had told listeners to turn up the Eagles, got a playful nod in the Hotel California lyric?

Steely Dan had told listeners to turn up the Eagles in one of their own songs.

What is etched into the run-out groove of side two of Hotel California?

It means the backing track of "Victim of Love" was cut live in the studio with no overdubs.

What did the band's manager do while Henley overdubbed the "Victim of Love" vocal Felder wanted?

Felder said in the documentary that he had been promised the lead vocal on a song whose music he had mostly written.

Which Hotel California song did Frey call "Henley's opus"?

Henley himself called it fairly pedestrian and never fully realised musically.

Which Hotel California track was written entirely by Meisner?

It can be heard as being about the approaching end of his time with the band.

Which Hotel California song did Walsh contribute?

It and Meisner's song were the only two not written with Frey and Henley.

In which city did the 1977 backstage fight between Frey and Meisner take place?

Meisner, ill and with ulcers, refused to sing his signature song as an encore.

Who replaced Meisner in 1977, just as he had earlier replaced him in Poco?

The band agreed he was the only candidate.

On which Randy Newman hit did Frey and Schmit sing backup in 1977?

The band, minus Felder, played on Newman's album Little Criminals.

What was The Long Run originally intended to be?

The band could not write enough songs, and it still took a year and a half to make.

Which Eagles song was their last to top the Hot 100, in November 1979?

It won the band a fourth Grammy and was their biggest hit in Australia.

Which Michigan rocker co-wrote the band's last number one and blurted out its chorus over the phone?

He sang it with the band at the 2017 Classic West concert.

Which was the first Eagles song to feature Schmit on lead vocals?

Henley called the finished song straight Al Green; Frey told Schmit he could sing like Smokey Robinson.

Which holiday standard did the Eagles release as a single in 1978, reaching number 18?

It reached number 18; "Funky New Year" was its B-side.

In which California city did the notorious 1980 Senator Cranston benefit show take place?

Frey and Felder spent the whole benefit for Senator Alan Cranston threatening to beat each other up backstage.

How were the harmonies on Eagles Live fixed with the band split between coasts?

Frey stayed on the West Coast while the others worked in Miami; the liner notes just said Thank you and goodnight.

Who wrote "Seven Bridges Road", the live single that was the band's last Top 40 hit until 1994?

The Eagles used Iain Matthews's five-part harmony arrangement; the road is Woodley Road in Montgomery, Alabama.

How many attorneys were credited in the liner notes of Eagles Live?

Frey had already quit, refused to speak to the others and fired Irving Azoff as his manager.

Which Henley solo hit reached number 5 in 1984 with a video by Jean-Baptiste Mondino?

The video won several MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year.

With whom did Henley duet on "Leather and Lace" in 1981?

His own debut solo album I Can't Stand Still followed in 1982 with "Dirty Laundry".

Which film soundtrack gave Frey the number-2 hit "The Heat Is On"?

"You Belong to the City", from a TV cop-show soundtrack, also reached number 2 the following year.

Frey appeared as "Jimmy" in an episode of which TV series named after his song?

The episode was titled "Smuggler's Blues" and he contributed riffs to its soundtrack.

Which 1982 film, produced by the band's manager, featured solo songs from four Eagles on its soundtrack?

The band at the school dance in the film covers "Life in the Fast Lane".

What did Walsh promise to make the national anthem if his mock 1980 presidential run succeeded?

His platform was Free Gas For Everyone; at 32 he was too young to be eligible anyway.

Which Ohio band made Walsh famous with "Funk 49" before the Eagles?

Pete Townshend liked them so much he invited them on the Who's European tour.

On which two Crosby, Stills & Nash songs did Schmit sing during their 1982 sessions?

CSN needed an extra voice because of David Crosby's drug problems.

Whose Coral Reefer Band did Schmit play in from 1983 to 1985?

He also sang backup on Toto IV and toured Europe with Toto in 1982.

Which two Eagles toured with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in 1992?

Walsh had also produced and co-written Ringo's Old Wave album.

What was the title of the 1993 country tribute album to the band?

Travis Tritt insisted on having the Long Run-era Eagles in his "Take It Easy" video, and they agreed.

According to Henley's famous line, what would have to happen first for the Eagles to reunite?

The 1994 reunion album took its name from the remark; Frey said they had never broken up, just taken a 14-year vacation.

How long did Frey say the Eagles' "vacation" had lasted?

They reunited in 1994 for two shows that produced an MTV special and the album.

Which two new studio songs from the 1994 reunion album became Top 40 hits?

The album debuted at number one and sold six million in the US.

Which two songs did all seven Eagles play together at their 1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction?

It was the only time Leadon and Meisner joined the reunion-era lineup on stage.

In what year was Felder fired from the Eagles?

He sued for wrongful termination, reportedly seeking $50 million; the case settled in 2007.

What was the title of Felder's tell-all memoir?

Its US release was delayed after Hyperion recalled an entire print run for cuts.

Which 2003 single, written about the September 11 attacks, appeared on The Very Best Of?

It was the first Eagles recording without Don Felder since 1974.

For its first year, where was Long Road Out of Eden sold in the US?

It debuted at number one in six countries and was the band's first double album.

Who wrote "How Long", the 2007 single that won the Eagles a country Grammy?

The band had played it live in the early 1970s but he saved it for his own solo album.

How many years separated The Long Run and the next Eagles studio album?

Long Road Out of Eden arrived in 2007 and Henley said it was probably their last.

Who directed the 2013 documentary History of the Eagles?

Alex Gibney co-produced; it screened at Sundance and won an Emmy for sound mixing.

Which former Eagle rejoined the band for the History of the Eagles Tour?

Meisner was invited but could not take part for health reasons; Felder was never asked.

In which year did Frey die?

He was 67; the causes included rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia after intestinal surgery.

Which two singers shared the late frontman's vocals when the band returned in 2017?

Deacon is Glenn's son; Gill is a country star who had covered an Eagles ballad on the 1993 tribute album.

Which honour, planned for 2015, did the Eagles receive a year late because of Frey's health?

Frey died a month after the postponed 2015 ceremony would have taken place.

What did the Eagles perform from start to finish at three Las Vegas shows in 2019?

They used a 46-piece orchestra and a 22-voice choir, then took the show on the road as the Hotel California 2020 Tour.

What was the Eagles' 2023 farewell tour called?

It opened at Madison Square Garden on September 7, 2023, with Deacon Frey back in the band.

At which Las Vegas venue did the Eagles begin a residency in September 2024?

The first eight shows grossed $42.2 million from 131,000 tickets.

Meisner's 2023 death left which two original members alive?

Meisner died of complications from COPD at 77.

In which state was Henley born and raised?

He came west with his band Shiloh to make an album produced by Kenny Rogers.

Which environmental cause is Henley best known for founding?

It protects the Massachusetts woods made famous by Thoreau.

On which 1968 Bob Seger single did the 19-year-old Frey play guitar and sing backup?

Seger pushed him to write original songs, and the two stayed friends and occasional co-writers.

Which Michigan city was Frey born in?

He grew up in nearby Royal Oak and formed a band called the Subterraneans, named after the Kerouac novel.

In which state was Walsh born?

His father, an Air Force pilot, died in a mid-air collision over Okinawa when Joe was a toddler.

Meisner and Leadon were both members of which pioneering country-rock band before the Eagles?

Meisner co-founded Poco but quit before its first album came out; Leadon had also played in Dillard & Clark.

Where was Meisner born?

He grew up on a farm growing corn, beans, alfalfa and sugar beets, and returned to Nebraska after leaving the band.

Which future star did Leadon replace in the Gainesville band the Continentals?

Felder and Leadon both attended Gainesville High School.

What was Schmit's Sacramento band, which had a local number one in 1965?

He had auditioned for Poco in 1968 but lost out to Randy Meisner, whom he replaced a year later.

Which manager took over the Eagles from Geffen and Elliot Roberts during their third album?

His first clients had been REO Speedwagon and Dan Fogelberg; he later ran Ticketmaster.

What was Szymczyk's unusual background before becoming a producer?

He had no background as a musician at all, and also produced B.B. King and the Who.

Roughly how many records have the Eagles sold worldwide?

That includes 100 million in the US alone, making them the best-selling American band in history.

How many number-one singles did the Eagles have in the US?

The first came in 1975 and the last in 1979; none of the reunion-era singles reached the top.

Where did Rolling Stone rank the Eagles on its 2010 list of the 100 Greatest Artists?

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, the first year they were eligible.

In which country did "Hotel California" reach number two on the charts?

It was also the band's only top-10 hit in the United Kingdom.

Which 1980 film soundtrack paired an Eagles hit with a Boz Scaggs single three Eagles sang backup on?

The Scaggs song was "Look What You've Done to Me"; the Eagles track was their 1975 hit about a cheating wife.

Which 1975 album track closes Greatest Hits Volume 2, its title summing up the band's state?

The 1982 compilation was released after the breakup and has sold over 11 million copies in the US.

The Eagles' sound has most often been described by which regional label?

Their influences ranged from the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield to R&B and bluegrass.

At which two studios was the Hotel California album made between March and October 1976?

It was the first album with Joe Walsh and the last with founding bassist Randy Meisner.

The rear cover of Hotel California was shot in the lobby of which Hollywood building?

The gatefold shows the same lobby filled with band members and their friends.

The cover of Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) shows a painted plastic cast of what?

Its bumpy mylar background spawned a myth that the cover was dusted with cocaine.

Their Greatest Hits passed which album in 2018 to become the highest-certified in US history?

The new RIAA system counted album and track sales plus streams.

Long Road Out of Eden's 2007 number-one debut blocked whose album Blackout from the top?

A last-minute Billboard rule change let the Walmart-exclusive album count, and it ended her streak of four straight number-one debuts.

On which label was Long Road Out of Eden, the band's first double album, released?

It won Grammys for 'How Long' and the instrumental 'I Dreamed There Was No War'.

The Hell Freezes Over live tracks were recorded in April 1994 for a special on which network?

The album also carried four new studio tracks and marked the band's first live performance in 14 years.

What was Joe Walsh's biggest solo hit, a comic take on rock stardom that peaked at No. 12?

After leaving the James Gang in 1972, Walsh formed Barnstorm with Joe Vitale and Kenny Passarelli.

Don Henley's 1989 title track 'The End of the Innocence' was a collaboration with which pianist?

Henley grew up in Linden, Texas, and quit high-school football for the band on his coach's advice.

Which fellow Texan took an interest in Henley's pre-Eagles band Shiloh in 1969?

Shiloh broke up in 1971 over leadership and creative differences.

Glenn Frey's 'You Belong to the City' came from the soundtrack of which TV series?

That soundtrack topped the US album chart for 11 weeks in 1985, and 'Smuggler's Blues' from it hit No. 12.

How long did the troubled recording of The Long Run take, across five different studios?

Released in September 1979, it still spent nine weeks at number one.

Before the Eagles, Randy Meisner played in the Stone Canyon Band, which backed which singer?

He later joined Ronstadt's touring band for her Silk Purse tour, where the future Eagles first played together.

How old was Glenn Frey when he died in New York in January 2016?

He died of complications including rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and pneumonia while recovering from intestinal surgery.

Glenn Frey and Don Henley first met in 1970 at which Los Angeles club?

The two were acquainted through their shared label, Amos Records, a year before the band came together.

How large was the orchestra that joined the Eagles for their 2019 Las Vegas Hotel California concerts?

A 22-voice choir also joined the three MGM Grand Garden Arena shows, which played the 1976 album in full.