The Eagles Call On Deacon Frey & Vince Gill To Perform At Festival [TICKET INFO]

The Eagles, who lost founding member Glenn Frey to medical complications last year, are continuing with the band with the help from Frey’s son Deacon Frey and country music star Vince Gill.

THE EAGLES TO PERFORM WITH DEACON FREY & VINCE GILL

The Eagles formed in the early 1970s and is living up to the legacy of Frey by performing at the bicoastal festival Classic West, Classic East, with his 24-year-old son and Gill on vocals. They will perform alongside Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Earthy Wind & Fire, the Doobie Brothers, and Journey.

“While I was still in shock during some interviews after Glenn passed away, I did say that I thought that was the end of the band,” said frontman Don Henley, 69, told the Los Angeles Times. “But I reserve the right to change my mind. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.'”

“In my mind, I always thought I’d have made a good Eagle,” jokes Gill, who with 21 Grammys is the most awarded male country artist. “But in a million years, I never would have seen this coming. It’s pretty surreal. I turned 60 recently, and to get to be a part of this amazing legacy of songs, that’s the greatest part of all this for me.”

Deacon, who played some of his father’s songs at his funeral after his father’s death on Jan. 18, 2016, was a natural fit for the band. “After he saw Deacon at that service, Don always said that, ‘If there’s ever going to be a gig for all of us, I would want Deacon to be part of it,'” said Eagles’ longtime manager Irving Azoff. “It was the natural thing.”

“Bringing Deacon in was my idea,” Henley said. “I think of the guild system, which in both Eastern and Western cultures is a centuries-old tradition of the father passing down the trade to his son, and to me, that makes perfect moral and ethical sense. The primary thing is I think Glenn would be good with it — with both of these guys. I think he’d go, ‘That’s the perfect way to do this.'”

“They came to me with the idea, and it’s been really great,” Deacon said. “You guys are like my uncles. It’s another family we would have been missing [if the band did not continue].” Deacon grew up singing his father’s songs. “The first songs I learned on guitar were “Take It Easy” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” He was always very supportive and very encouraging of my music and my love for music. He got me a guitar when I was 7—a baby Taylor.”

While the band vowed to end after Frey’s death, Henley also thinks there is definitely a reason to stick around. “People want to hear these songs played live, by the band that recorded them — and not by a tribute band,” he explained. “God knows, there are enough of those. And even though it’s not exactly the same band, they want to hear the songs. I think we’re doing it in a highly ethical manner that I think Glenn would approve of. That’s important to me, it’s important to Glenn’s family. If there are some detractors, then there are some detractors. I’m not going to spend a lot of time defending this, because I don’t see anything wrong with it. I think we’re carrying on a family tradition in a very family type way.”

The Classic West, Classic East tour will take place in July, in LA at Dodger Stadium, or New York at Citi Field, with two shows in each. Get tickets here.

TOUR DATES:
7/15 – Dodger Stadium
7/16 – Dodger Stadium
7/29 – Citi Field
7/30 – Citi Field