Eagles fans couldn’t believe it when the long-feuding group announced they were reuniting for a tour in 1994. The reunion was a smash success, but unfortunately for some fans, it got cut short when the band was forced to cancel some of the later dates.
On Oct. 3, 1994 —27 years ago today — the Eagles announced that they were suspending the final dates of their humorously-named Hell Freezes Over Tour due to singer-guitarist Glenn Frey‘s illness.
The tour was the band’s first since 1980’s The Long Run album, after which they dissolved in rancor for nearly 15 years. The Hell Freezes Over Tour followed a brief reunion for the video for Travis Tritt‘s version of “Take It Easy” in 1994, which served as the catalyst for their decision to reunite in the Long Run-era lineup of Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Don Felder and Timothy B. Schmit.
According to the Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Frey was suffering from a “chronic gastrointestinal disorder,” which was later revealed to be a recurrence of diverticulitis. The band rescheduled the remaining dates for 1995.
Frey later spoke publicly about his intestinal issues, which he attributed to his previous use of drugs and alcohol. In 1986, he had missed a reunion with Henley due to his ailments, and in 1990, he underwent surgery to remove a large part of his intestine.
Frey would undergo surgery again in 2015, which forced the band to re-schedule accepting the Kennedy Center Honors. Sadly, he did not live to see that ceremony: Frey died in January of 2016 at the age of 67 from complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.
Most fans and even the band members themselves assumed the Eagles were finished with Frey’s death, but on July 15, 2017, they regrouped in a new lineup that included Frey’s son, Deacon, and Vince Gill, playing their first show together at Classic West at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Gill had previously helped tribute the Eagles at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors alongside Ringo Starr, Bob Seger, Steve Vai and Kings of Leon, with a performance of “Life in the Fast Lane.”
The new lineup with Gill and Deacon Frey has continued to tour together off and on ever since 2017, and released a live album, Live From the Forum MMXVIII, in 2020.
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