How did you become a fan of the Eagles/a specific Eagle?

[EasyFeeling]

I just wanted to inform you I will need a few days to read this new thread. Just in case you all wonder why you don't find the EF-story here. I guess I will post it in a few weeks.

[sodascouts]

I just love reading all these stories! timfan, it's funny to me that you got F1 for your dad, but it was you who wound up being sucked in!

Dreamer - ah yes, Sacramento was not only great for the Glenn-tact, but for the connections I made with PLS, you, and Z. Fun times!!!!! And look at us now, lol! Additionally, hooking up with folks like timfan and Molly at Casino Rama was also a blast! This was after my trip to the UK, where I got to hook up with GEF, Witchy Mummy and Toonlass, among others. I've been really blessed to meet so many great people in person!

[timfan]

timfan, it's funny to me that you got F1 for your dad, but it was you who wound up being sucked in!

yeah :P I think Dad has watched F1 all the way through once; MAYBE!! Otherwise The DVD stays in my possesion, in my room.... I guess I've 'adopted' Dad's F1 DVD!!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Ah yes - I forgot to include that timfan was also at Rama - my bad!

This has been one of the best parts about being an Internet Eagles fan - I had no idea when I first started surfing the net for Eagles info that I would actually end up posting on message boards, much less actually meet some truly great friends. Not only that, but, hopefully, we're not done yet. I really hope we will get to meet others sometime later this year.

And timfan - I understand the thing with your Dad because I have converted my young nieces into Eagles fans. The problem with this is that now they all want to go to the next shows, and guess who they want to buy their tickets.

[glenneaglesfan]

Those are fantastic accounts of how you developed Eagle-love, df, tf and dreamer. I've really enjoyed reading them. In particular, I love the step by step approach that some of us have had - an introduction, a hearing, and then we've been inspired to seek them out on the internet. At this point, I'd like to add that I've met Soda, Timfan,Witchy Mummy and Toonlass, who are all members, and are all great people.

[Freypower]

OK... mine has some similarities to Dreamer's story. I apologise in advance for the length.

It's 1975 and I'm a 14 year old in love with Australia's top pop singer (from Sherbet, if anyone cares). I was also a huge McCartney & Wings fan & I liked stuff like Status Quo & Bachman Turner Overdrive (heavier stuff)! Then I started hearing the three 'big' songs from the OOTN album. My favourite was Take It To The Limit but I became addicted to Lyin' Eyes straight away. I was also a big fan of another song called Rocky Mountain Way in the same year.

I regularly read an Australian rock magazine and got a big surprise at the end of the year when it said that Bernie Leadon had been replaced in the Eagles by Joe Walsh. The first ever interview I read with Don & Glenn was in this magazine. I think that must have been when I decided that the most 'attractive' of them was Don Felder. Because I liked TITTL the best I somehow thought 'this must be Randy Meisner. He's the one I like'.

The band came to Australia in January 1976. The magazine was called RAM (Rock Australia Magazine) and it ran a couple of articles saying that the hot shot guitarist had 'sold out'. I was intrigued when they then ran a cover line which said 'Sheep Killer Special - Eagle Attacks RAM'! and Joe answered their taunts.

I was fascinated. What sort of music will these guys make together, I wondered. So then came the answer - Hotel California - and I was utterly transfixed by it. By then I think I was aware that the drummer was Don Henley and he seemed to sing most of the songs. I had no idea who any of the others were except Joe.

We were in Sydney in January 1977, before I bought the album which had been played to death on my local radio station. We were walking through an open air market in Chinatown. The PA system blared out New Kid In Town. I had heard it before but suddenly I found myself listening intently to the singer's voice. I couldn't stop myself. I was mesmerised.

I went back & read all the information & looked at the photos. But the man in question with his dark hair & moustache held no charms for me at all. This became even truer when I finally saw the HC video and it was dominated by Don Felder - but at least I now knew it was Felder who was my favourite. The voice of NKIT, AG, TIE, Lyin' Eyes, TS... that was my favourite voice, though.

I got more and more impatient as I awaited The Long Run. I wanted to ditch my teenage heroes and follow a 'real' band. I noted when Schmit replaced Meisner. I heard all sorts of rumours about discord in the studio. I even read a report that Frey had a 'collapse' of some sort. I was concerned.

I was at university in Canberra at the end of September 1979 when I first heard Heartache Tonight. I realised at once that it was the guy who sang NKIT. I thought 'well, if I'm going to have a favourite member of this band I suppose it will either be this guy or Don Henley because they sing most of the songs but I really don't like this guy physically'. So I went into the city centre on the day the album was released to look at the cover, opened up the gatefold and there they were. Let's see... that's the new guy, Tim Schmit, with the long hair. Ah yes, Felder, still looks good (but he doesn't sing... it's not realistic for him to be my favourite member).

WHO ON EARTH IS THAT???

Moving along quickly - yes, that's Henley with the big hair (!) and that's Walsh. Nice moustache. So that means.... surely not....

I tried to tell myself that I would be better off if I 'went' with Henley but I couldn't do it. I was gone.

I think I will do the rest of this history in another post, if that's OK.

[sodascouts]

Of course it's OK if you break it up. I look forward to Part 2!

[glenneaglesfan]

This is great reading, FP, and I can't wait for the next episode. I forgot to add that I had a similar moment when I first saw Long Run Glenn in the Complete Greatest Hits booklet - good grief, is that the same man?

[Randy's Girl]

I started this yesterday evening (just before Dreamer's). I'd almost finished then hit the wrong key and managed to get myself off the internet completely! Aaaargghh!! So I'll try again ..

I first heard HC in 1986 when my husband lent me a copy. I had never heard of the Eagles then, I was a Springsteen fan. I used to listen to it on my Walkman while I was working as an evening cleaner (in addition to my dayjob). Try and Love Again quickly became my favourite - I loved the voice. I quickly bought all their albums on tape and vinyl and played them to death. Learned who was who and who sang what, and soon realised that all my favourites were sung by the same person - Randy Meisner. When I saw his picture I was hooked even more. I even used their names as passwords on my computer files at work ( the most used one was Randy Meisner - even now I can type his name really fast and without looking). Desperado became my favourite - I just loved everything about it.

I remember watching Glenn's acting debut in Miami Vice, I remember some of their solo work (The Heat Is On and Boys of Summer). I bought Don's albums, and one of Glenn's. My husband has a lot of Joe Walsh LP's as he was a fan before Joe joined the Eagles. I used to look for Eagles videos constantly - I so wanted to see them perform. Occasionally, the music channels would play the vid for HC and my eyes would be glued to Randy, and I wished with all my heart I could see him sing Take It To The Limit one day.

Then one day just before Christmas 1994, we were decorating our tree with the TV on, and there was an advert for the reunion concert showing on VH1. We watched and taped the concert, loved it. Bought the CD, the video (and later the DVD). We saw them live in 1996. Bought the Hole In The World CD.

Kids came along - didn't think about Eagles much (still played their songs), went back to work. Then one day last April, watching TV one evening, the next program was Eagles live at the BBC. We watched it, and I fell in love with Randy all over again. Just watching him sing (with his eyes closed - so sweet). He looked so handsome and sexy. In the weeks that followed, I became totally addicted to him. I spent a lot of time on ebay, I joined Eagleland (seemingly as the only Randy fan in the world). I found friends there too and again here and on TLR (I'd never joined a forum before so it was all new). I filled my computer with pictures, I got all his solo stuff and, joy of joys, I found the live performance of TITTL.

I missed the concerts last year - tried really hard to get tickets on ebay - missing out by pennies and minutes. I've a good few Eagles DVD's now (generally several copies of the same few concerts - of differing quality). My girls (now 7 and 9) also love the Eagles now and can identify who's singing lead on each song. They know all the band members past and present.

I love the Eagles still, love their music, love the band whoever is in it, but my favourite is Randy, always will be Randy. Love his voice and his songs, love his bass playing and of course he's a fine-looking man.

And that's my story

[sodascouts]

Thanks for sharing that, RG! I know it must be difficult to be so outnumbered, although we have lots of Randy-lovers even if he isn't the favorite of most. Seeing the Eagles perform in concert, even on TV, really does go far to promote Eagles love! I wonder if they'll ever release the BBC concert? Perhaps it's not in their power to do so, I don't know.