The Sunshine Festival at Anaheim Stadium was the concert venue of one of two Eagles concerts held in California during a weekend in September 1975. The other concert was at Balboa Stadium in San Diego the day prior on September 27, and was called the One of These Days concert. These two separate concerts just a day apart had the same lineup of:
- Eagles
- Jackson Browne
- Linda Ronstadt
September 28, 1975 was the date of this Sunshine Festival at Anaheim Stadium. (Linda wore almost identical dresses to each concert.)
The Anaheim concert was Bernie Leadon’s last concert with the Eagles. A portion of Bernie’s interview of September 27, 2019 with John Beaudin of Rock History Music about leaving the Eagles is below. Bernie also talks about pouring the beer on Glenn Frey’s head.
Randy Meisner on stage in Anaheim
Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon, and Don Felder
Don Felder and Bernie Leadon
Randy Meisner, Joe Walsh, Don Henley, Don Felder, and Bernie Leadon
Joe Walsh joins the Eagles on stage
Don Felder, Glenn Frey, and Randy Meisner walking to their limos after the show.
Anaheim was Bernie Leadon’s last concert with the Eagles.
Bernie talks to John Beaudin in September 2019 about leaving the Eagles and pouring the beer on Glenn’s head.
“The Eagles’ last concert with Leadon was in the fall of 1975 in front of 55,000 fans at Anaheim Stadium in California. Ten days later, the remaining four Eagles were rehearsing with Walsh for a tour of Australia and New Zealand and Japan.”
New Musical Express History of Rock (London, England) – 1976
“‘Ever since the Burritos, Bernie has disliked touring,’ said Azoff. ‘Living out of hotel rooms and airplanes just doesn’t appeal to him. There have been signs for a couple of years now that he might leave, but the final decision came in the last couple of weeks’.”
LA Times (Los Angeles, CA) – Dec. 13, 1975
“Future recording plans for the Eagles are still uncertain. Much depends on whether Walsh remains with them on a permanent basis; if he does, he will be playing on their next album in the spring. Otherwise, Leadon may return briefly for the sessions.”
New Musical Express (London, England) – Dec. 20, 1975
Joe Walsh & Barnstorm – Colorado Music Experience
Sunshine Festival at Anaheim Stadium
Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey
Don Felder
Don Henley
Linda Ronstadt and Andrew Gold
Jackson Browne and David Lindley on stage and backstage
Jackson & his son, Ethan (almost 2 years old)
JD Souther was a guest on stage at various times with all three bands during the festival.
Glenn tuning guitars in a truck before the show
Henry Diltz and Barry Schultz, photographers
Record World magazine ad – May 8, 1976
All-day ticket for $10.00 autographed by Joe Walsh
Sunshine Festival at Anaheim Stadium poster
LA Times (Los Angeles, CA) – Aug. 23, 1975
LA Times (Los Angeles, CA) – Aug. 23, 1975
LA Times (Los Angeles, CA) – Aug. 24, 1975
“Because all three acts make Los Angeles their home base and their music reflects a certain similarity in both tone (laid-back, country-tinged) and theme (great hope, immense ambition, yet a strong sense of disillusionment), many writers around the country have lumped the Eagles, Ronstadt, and Brown together under a Southern California sound heading.”
Concert review in the LA Times (Los Angeles, CA) – Sept. 30, 1975
“Another songwriter, John David Souther, joined Browne’s band for one song, sang a duet with Ronstadt and played piano during the Eagles’ encore.”
“The Eagles’ blend of rock, country, bluegrass and rhythm and blues styles is reminiscent of the old Buffalo Springfield, a comparison which has been made elsewhere and is not meant to demean the group’s originality.”
Concert review in The Independent (Long Beach, CA) – Sept. 30, 1975
Concert review in the LA Times (Los Angeles, CA) – Sept. 30, 1975
“Gathered together were three of the finest groups of musicians to emerge from the melting pot of the L.A. music scene.”
Cash Box – Oct. 11, 1975
I was in Jackson’s band… Anaheim September 28 ,1975 vocals & percussion
It must have been such a great day for a concert, but also very sad because it was Bernie’s last performance as an Eagle member. The pictures are great. Don Felder must have thought so also as he posted a picture from your post on his Facebook page today. Someone asked if he still had the guitar (the Sunburst ’59 Les Paul). He said that he still has it and it is under lock and key.
I do look at Felder’s page every 3 or 4 days, and I saw that post earlier this evening. It was really nice to see he had re-posted that photo. I sure don’t blame him for keeping it locked up. I think it’s sad, too, that this was Bernie’s last concert with the Eagles. It doesn’t show on his face, so he must have been ok with it in his mind.
I was at the Sept 1975 show with my girlfriend, her sister and a good buddy. It was a great concert. It’s hard to believe that it was almost 50 years ago….
Almost 50 years! Isn’t that crazy? From the pics it looks like a beautiful day, but it’s also sad because it was Bernie’s last with the Eagles.