The Bandmate Don Henley Said Didn’t Understand Rock N’ Roll

In their early days, the Eagles could’ve been considered country rock. They had enough of a twang to be counted amongst the southern rock crowd. As the band continued to grow, they transitioned into a more traditional rock sound. Don Henley, however, thought one bandmate got left behind during that transition. Find out which bandmate Henley thought didn’t understand rock & roll, below.

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The Bandmate Don Henley Said Didn’t Understand Rock N’ Roll

Bernie Leadon was the country connoisseur of the group. Prior to leaving the band in the mid-’70s, Leadon added many twangy guitar licks to the group’s biggest hits. He was eventually replaced by Joe Walsh. According to Henley, it was a necessary personnel change.

“Bernie had bluegrass roots,” Henley once said. “He’d never really messed with rock and roll guitar, and he never really understood how to get that dirty rock and roll sound. He was just not schooled or programmed in that area. We also knew that Joe [Walsh] was so controlled that he could play the ballads with no problem at all, and a lot of people doubted that.”

Walsh added something gritty to the group. His musicality helped push the Eagles into a new frontier. Songs like “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Hotel California” wouldn’t have been possible without Walsh’s playing.

Transitioning into a harder rock sound was one of the main grievances Leadon had with the band. “By On the Border, it was difficult to articulate how I thought the music should sound, and I started to wonder that maybe I should go at some point,” Leadon once said.

Though Leadon’s departure from the band wasn’t completely amicable, it fulfilled both his and his former bandmate’s needs.

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)