Eagles bassist, ‘Take It to the Limit’ singer Randy Meisner dies at 77

Randy Meisner, a founding member, bassist and vocalist of California rock band The Eagles, has died, the band said Thursday. He was 77.

The Eagles said Meisner died Wednesday night in Los Angeles from complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Meisner founded The Eagles with Glenn Frey, Don Henley — who he met when the three were performing in Linda Ronstadt’s band — and Bernie Leadon, contributing bass and vocals on their albums “Eagles,” “Desperado,” “On The Border,” “One of These Nights,” and “Hotel California.” He left the band in 1977 following a backstage dustup with Frey.

The bassist was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Eagles in 1998. The group is one of the best-selling acts in history. With 38 million copies sold, “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)” is tied with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as the Recording Industry Association of America’s top-selling album of all time.

“Take It To The Limit,” Meisner’s vocal showcase, became a top-five single off of the “One of These Nights” album in 1975.

“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band. His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit,’” the band said in a statement.

After going solo, Meisner had hits of his own, including “Hearts On Fire” and played on records from James Taylor, Joe Walsh (after the Eagles broke up in 1980) and others.

Meisner, described as “the sweetest man in the music business” by former bandmate Don Felder, had suffered tragedies and battled substance abuse in recent years. In 2016, his wife Lana accidentally shot herself and Meisner was placed under a conservatorship after threatening to harm himself.

He was born on March 8, 1946, in Scottsbluff, Neb. After coming to Los Angeles, he played with Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band and Poco.

With News Wire Services