American magazine and newspaper interviews with Randy Meisner are below. The intention for this page is for it to be a collection of interviews that are possibly new to a lot of people. More interviews will be added later.
Sept. 1972:
Circus Magazine was an American magazine devoted to rock music that was published from 1966-2006. It was originally called Hullabaloo. Ed Naha interviewed the Eagles shortly after their first album was released.
Mar. 1974:
1974 is early in the Eagles’ career, and they talk a little bit about their hopes and dreams to Hit Parader magazine.
May 16-22, 1974:
The Scene is an alternative weekly newspaper and was founded in 1970. It is based out of Cleveland, Ohio. Jim Gerard interviewed Bernie Leadon for the May 16-22, 1974 issue.
Oct. 14, 1974:
Steve Lawrence of the New York Post interviews Glenn Frey and Don Henley about the band’s origins.
Dec. 1975:
The newest Eagle, Don Felder, gives his perspective on how the Eagles write songs and how the band members mesh together. Circus Raves was the sister publication of Circus magazine. It began in 1974 and by 1977 the two Circus magazines had merged together to form one biweekly magazine.
Oct. 1976:
GIG Magazine was a music magazine in the 1970s and featured the Eagles on the cover of the October 1976 issue. GIG was published in New York, NY. There are actually two separate interviews in this October edition. The first by Linda Cain offers insight into each of the Eagles with some info about them not heard before. The piece by Lester Bangs is a harsh review of the band, which is what Lester is known for.
Jan. 27, 1977:
Country Rambler magazine featured the Eagles on the cover of the Jan. 27, 1977 issue (Issue #10). There was a 3-page interview by Pete Oppel inside. Country Rambler was published biweekly in Niles, Illinois.
Feb. 1977:
Phonograph Record Magazine was a rock music magazine and was published monthly in Hollywood, CA, between 1970 and 1978. Michael Barackman interviewed Glenn Frey and Don Henley for the Feb. 1977 issue. The Eagles were also on the cover of this issue.
April 1977:
Crawdaddy was an American rock music magazine founded in 1966 by a Pennsylvania college student. The magazine was named after the Crawdaddy Club in London and published during its early years with an exclamation point, as Crawdaddy! Barbara Charone interviewed Glenn Frey and Don Henley for the April 1977 issue.
May 1977:
Hit Parader was a monthly music magazine that was published from 1942-2008. Hit Parader was based in Derby Connecticut.
Nov. 7, 1980:
BAM magazine (Bay Area Music) is a magazine in San Francisco that was launched in 1976. Randy Meisner was featured on the cover of the Nov. 7, 1980 issue. It is no longer a printed publication, but it is a free online magazine now. Beginning in 1977 there was a yearly awards show for musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area called the Bammies. Winners were voted on by BAM’s readers. The name of the awards show was later changed to the California Music Awards.
Jan. 12, 1981:
The People Magazine interview with Randy Meisner and David Sheff took place shortly after Randy’s “One More Song” album was released.
Feb. 1981:
Teen Magazine was a magazine primarily for teen girls. It was based in Santa Monica, CA and was published from 1954-2009. An interview with Randy Meisner was included in the February 1981 issue. In the same issue there was also an article about Jackson Browne.
Mar. 31, 1981:
Randy talks of his need to leave the Eagles and his desire to start a solo career in Circus Magazine. Circus was a monthly American rock music magazine published from 1966-2006. A sister publication called Circus Raves began in 1974 and by 1977 the two Circus magazines had merged together to form a biweekly magazine.
Nov. 27, 1988:
There is a 2-page interview with Annette Heussmann of the Scottsbluff Star-Herald titled “Meisner back on track”. As usual, it is very informative.
Mar. 1, 1990:
The Detroit News is a major newspaper headquartered in Detroit, MI. It was founded in 1873, and is still in business today.
Feb 24, 1991:
Randy Meisner was interviewed for his home-town newspaper, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald. Some of what is in the interview we have read in other articles before, but most of it is new information. The 6-page interview appears in the new “Prairie Magazine” section of the Star-Herald.
June 1991:
Poco was interviewed by William Ruhlmann of Relix Magazine. This 2-page interview covers a lot of the history of the band from the beginning to their Legacy tour.
June 15, 1994:
Randy was asked about his feelings regarding the upcoming Eagles reunion tour. Randy’s good friend, Roger Frank of Scottsbluff, was also interviewed for an article in the Star-Herald about his thoughts on the Eagles reunion.
American magazine and newspaper interviews with Randy Meisner
Circus Magazine – Sept. 1972
Interview with Ed Naha
pdf version
“The Lightning Flight of the Eagles”
“We all sort of flocked around the sound that Linda was putting out. Don and I were regulars with her and Randy sat in every once in a while on bass. Bernie had backed Linda a couple of years ago and he used to show up and jam.”
Hit Parader magazine – March 1974
Interview with Bobbie G. Jackson
pdf version
“Flying High With the Eagles”
(Photo used in article was taken at Central Park concert in Aug. 1973.)
The Scene newspaper – May 16-22, 1974
Interview with Jim Girard
pdf version
“Getting better all the time
Bernie Leadon; from Squirrel Barkers to the Eagles”
“John Boylan got us together. They only needed a lead guitarist; Glenn Frey, Randy and Don were already ready to play. All of a sudden we got involved with David Geffen and we played the Winter of ’71 for about six months before we did the first album.”
Cover
Pg. 5
New York Post – Oct. 14, 1974
Interview with Steve Lawrence
pdf version
“Pop Stars for the ’70s”
“The other three Eagles are Randy Meisner on bass and Bernie Leadon on guitar and banjo, the two old pros, and Don Felder, a super-impressive newcomer who may be the best musician of the lot.”
“Meantime, for petty cash, they played back-up for Linda Ronstadt. They were soon joined by a tough, driving, Nebraska-born bass player named Randy Meisner.”
“And at Disneyland one warm spring evening the three were wailing away behind Ronstadt when one of her old friends, Bernie Leadon, wrapped around a few beers, stumbled up on stage.”
Circus Raves Magazine – Dec. 1975
Interview with Steve Rosen
pdf version
“Fishing With the Eagles For the Universal Trout”
Pg. 58
Pg. 59
Pg. 60
Pg. 61
GIG Magazine
Interviews with Linda Cain and Lester Bangs
pdf version
“Eagles: A Rare Interview With the High School Desperadoes”
“How the Eagles Cleaned Up the Wild West”
Cover
Pg. 27
Pg. 28
Pg. 29
Pg. 30
Pg. 31
Country Rambler Magazine – Jan. 27, 1977
Interview with Pete Oppel
pdf version
“The Eagles flying free in any direction they choose”
Cover
Pg. 24
Pg. 25
Pg. 26
Phonograph Record Magazine – Feb. 1977
Interview with Michael Barackman
pdf version
“Eagles Extra”
Cover
Pg. 12
Pg. 14
Pg. 16
Pg. 18
Crawdaddy magazine – April 1977
Interview with Barbara Charone
pdf version
“The Eagles Life in the Fast Lane”
Cover
Pg. 34
Pg. 35
Pg. 36
Pg. 37
Pg. 38
Pg. 39
Pg. 40
BAM (Bay Area Music) magazine – Nov. 7, 1980
Randy Meisner was on the cover – Henry Diltz, photographer
Interview with Dave Zimmer
pdf version
“Ex-Eagle Randy Meisner Flies High Solo”
Cover
Pg. 26
Pg. 27
Pg. 28
People Magazine – Jan. 12, 1981
2-page interview with David Sheff
pdf version
“Bassist-Composer Randy Meisner Courageously Bailed Out of the Eagles So That He Could Rock His Own Boat”
Teen Magazine – Feb. 1981
“An Ex-Eagle Soars Solo”
“With cuts like ‘Deep Inside My Heart’ and ‘Hearts On Fire’ topping the charts, One More Song is putting Randy center stage as a solo artist. He co-wrote the bulk of the songs with Eric Kaz and Wendy Waldman, and discovered his previously untried vocal versatility.”
Circus Magazine – Mar. 31, 1981
Interview with Philip Bashe
pdf version
“Ex-Eagle soars on solo flight”
“Meisner had informed the band of his decision to leave after a show in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was, he emphasizes, no quick decision.”
“The title track to Randy Meisner’s ‘One More Song’ is about his final show as an Eagle.”
Star-Herald Newspaper – Nov. 27, 1988
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
2-page interview with Annette Heussmann
pdf version
“Meisner back on track”
“While at Nashville, Meisner taped a week’s worth of appearances as a judge on ‘You Can Be A Star.’ The shows are set to air in April.
The experience is one Meisner says he hated and won’t do again.
‘It’s not my forte,’ he said. He didn’t like being put on the spot and having to explain to up and coming musicians why he gave them certain scores.”
Star-Herald (Scottsbluff, NE) – Nov. 27, 1988
Detroit News – Mar. 1, 1990
Interview with Rex Rutkoski
pdf version
“Former Eagle won’t return to the nest”
“I would have said ‘No,’ but I would have liked to have been asked, the Nebraska native says. I’d like to think I wasn’t asked because of Poco. Right now I’m happy. If I could have worked it in to do an album with the Eagles, I would have.”
“Prairie Magazine” – 1st issue
Star-Herald Newspaper – Feb. 24, 1991
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
6-page interview with Annette Heussmann
pdf version
“High-Flying Bird”
Cover of the Star-Herald’s new Prairie Magazine with drawing of Randy on the front and Table of Contents page
Cover
Pg. 6
Pg. 7
Pg. 8*
Pg. 9
Pg. 10
Pg. 11
* Eight years earlier Randy and Roger Frank advertised in the Classifieds of the Star-Herald to sell some of his collection of the antique vehicles. Included in this sale ad is the green Mercury used on the cover of his 1978 solo album.
Star-Herald (Scottsbluff, NE) – Apr. 24, 1983
Grand Island Independent (Grand Island, NE) – June 15, 1994
and
Star-Herald (Scottsbluff, NE) – June 14 & Nov. 27, 1994
“No ‘Hotel California’ for him”
Grand Island Independent (Grand Island, NE) – June 15, 1994
“Frank has been a friend and fan of Meisner’s since they were students at Scottsbluff High School. Now president of Frank Implement in Scottsbluff, he gave Meisner his only job outside of music — a parts position — for nine months in 1970.”
Roger Frank comments: “I have a hard time seeing how they can do a lot of their older songs, especially ‘Take It To The Limit,’ without Randy’s high vocals being in there, he said. I mean, that song was the one that brought the people to their feet. That was their most popular concert song.”
Star-Herald (Scottsbluff, NE) – June 14, 1994
“His recent band, Meisner, Rich and Swan, is keeping busy with upcoming shows in Las Vegas, Denver and Sweden.
But he’s most excited about two shows scheduled for the Oregon Trail Lounge in Gering, Jan. 10-11.”
“Randy Meisner stands in front of a wall of his music memorabilia at Applebee’s Restaurant and Grill in Scottsbluff this week.”
Star-Herald (Scottsbluff, NE) – Nov. 27, 1994
I’ve always wondered what types of antique cars Randy owned. The classified ad (fourth from the bottom) lists the green Mercury that graced the cover of Randy’s ’78 solo album. $6,800 seems like a very low price for that type of car.
Do you know what song he’s talking about in the 11-27-88 article with him on the train tracks? He says he’s been working on a song for 10-15 years for which the inspiration came when he reached to top of the hill in the Wildcats and looked over his shoulder at the town. He says the song says he’s looking back and always will.
I absolutely am guessing, but I wonder if it’s “The Best I’ve Ever Been” that he co-wrote with Mitchel Delevie.
Thank you! I never would have thought of that one.
Alway love reading about the after life of the Eagles and Randy’s desire to move on and continue to be one of the nicest people in the recording studio and in life he is truly loved by all his fans. Thanks for the music and the legacy you left for us.
He did not let grass grow under his feet. He was always pushing ahead to the next project and band, while maintaining his good disposition.