When Eagles announced the Farewell I tour in 2004 the title was a pisstake on all the acts like Kiss and Cher that announce farewell tours and then keep touring. That tour title was never meant to be taken seriously. The new one ‘The Long Goodbye’ farewell tour is. Get the headstone ready. It will read ‘Eagles 1971-2025’.
The official announcement reads:
“The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds. Credit and thanks go to our longtime management team, our dedicated road crew, and our exceptional backup musicians for providing skilled and steadfast support, throughout these many years. We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. But, everything has its time, and the time has come for us to close the circle. The official farewell tour is currently in the planning stages. We want to give all our fans a chance to see us on this final round. So, scheduling information will be released as dates are set. The difficulties of booking venues for multiple nights may require us to return to certain cities, depending on demand. But, we hope to see as many of you as we can, before we finish up. Most importantly, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for embracing this band and its music. At the end of the day, you are the reason we have been able to carry on for over five decades. This is our swan song, but the music goes on and on.”
With love and gratitude,
The Eagles
The announcement falls short of saying with Eagles will be. Don Henley is the only founding member of the group left. He is 75. Joe Walsh, who is also 75, joined in 1975. Timothy B. Schmidt, who is also 75, joining in 1977. (Numerologists might see something in those recurring numbers).
Original member Bernie Leadon was a special guest on the History of the Eagles tour 2013-15. Bernie is 75, so he fits the “rule of 75”. Another founding member Randy Meisner was invited on that tour but declined due to ill health. He is now 77. Don Felder is 75. Don joined in 1974 and played on two tracks of their third album ‘On The Border’, lead on ‘Already Gone’ and slide on ‘Good Day In Hell’. Felder returned to the band for the reunion ‘Hell Freezes Over Tour’ of 1994 but was “fired” from the band in 2001 and sued for ‘wrongful termination’. Felder wrote about his treatment of the band in his book ‘Heaven and Hell: My Life With the Eagles’. When the band made the ‘History of the Eagles’ doco, Glenn Frey talking scathingly about Felder. Frey died in 2016 at age 67. It is unknown if Felder and Henley have reconciled.
Eagles will tour though to 2025. The initial dates will feature Steely Dan (Donald Fagen).
Initial Eagles dates are:
Sep 7: New York Madison Square Garden, NY
Sep 11: Boston TD Garden, MA
Sep 16: Newark Prudential Center, NJ
Sep 20: Belmont Park UBS Arena, NY
Oct 05: Denver Ball Arena, CO
Oct 09: Indianapolis Gainbridge Fieldhouse, IN
Oct 13: Detroit Little Caesars Arena, MI
Oct 17: Cleveland Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, OH
Nov 02: Atlanta State Farm Arena, GA
Nov 07: Charlotte Spectrum Center, NC
Nov 09: Raleigh PNC Arena, NC
Nov 14: Lexington Rupp Arena, KY
Nov 17: St. Paul Xcel Energy Center, MI
