The Pine Knob Eagles concert was a two-day event on June 26 and 27, 1975. These two performances were at the Pine Knob Music Theatre (an outdoor theater) in Clarkston, MI. Both days were sold out, and while there the Eagles were presented with a gold record for the One of These Nights album that had just come out on June 10. It was their fourth gold record by Asylum.
Michael Martin Murphey opened for the Eagles, and these Pine Knob shows were just a few days after the Eagles returned from the Wembley Mid-Summer Music concert in England.
Pine Knob Theatre opened in 1972 and was a popular amphitheater for concerts. David Cassidy was Pine Knob’s first performer. Even though the name changed in 2002 to DTE Energy Music Theatre, people still referred to it as Pine Knob. Then, as of January 14, 2022 it was announced that the name was officially changed back to Pine Knob.
Glenn Frey’s mother, Nellie Frey, was at this 1975 concert, and an article (see below) from an interview with her appeared in the Detroit Free Press newspaper July 1, 1975. It’s obvious she was very proud of Glenn.
Presentation of One of These Nights gold record award following the shows at Pine Knob Music Theatre
Record World magazine – Aug. 2, 1975
Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon, Glenn Frey, Rip Pelley (Asylum Records Detroit Rep), Don Henley, and Don Felder
Pine Knob Eagles concert Pavilion ticket for first night
Pine Knob outdoor theater
Glenn Frey and Rip Pelley (Asylum Records Detroit Rep) promoting “One Of These Nights” to Dennis Frawley of WABX-FM in Detroit
Rip Pelley, Glenn Frey, and Dennis Frawley (WABX-FM in Detroit)
Nellie Frey: “We sort of wanted him to be a lawyer-he made excellent grades without even trying-or do something in literature because his teachers were always encouraging him to write because he did it so beautifully. I guess this has come out in his songs.”
Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) – July 1, 1975
“Groups like Chicago and Eagles bring their own systems and manage to sound O.K., says Broderick.”
“Oh, they can sound country-plaintive, especially Glenn Frey’s hurtin’ voice on things such as Lyin’ Eyes. But they’re just as at home with big string arrangements (Take It to the Limit) or full-brewed rockers (Visions).”
The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario) – June 21, 1975
“Don Henley’s drums are the band’s heartbeat and Randy Meisner’s bass is its pulse.”
Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) – June 22, 1975
In Bob Talbert’s column, he wrote that the “One of These Nights” album is one of the best albums he ever heard. Talbert of the Detroit Free Press wrote 9,000 columns during his three decades there and is in the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. So he knew what he was talking about. Thanks for pulling all the articles and pictures together for the Eagles Pine Knob concert, Diana.
Yes, Bob Talbert’s opinion I value rather than Cliff Radel, the reporter from Cincinnati. That guy never had anything good to say about the Eagles.