Eagles shared with their fans on Wednesday (April 6) that Deacon Frey — son of the late Glenn Frey — is leaving the band to pursue other opportunities.
“Deacon Frey has devoted the past 4 1/2 years to carrying on his father’s legacy and, after some weeks of reflection, he now feels that it is time for him to forge his own path,” the band said in a statement on their website. “We understand, completely, and we support him in whatever he wishes to pursue in the years ahead.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“In the wake of his dad’s demise, Deacon, at age 24, did an extraordinary thing by stepping from relative anonymity into the very public world of his father’s long illustrious career,” they continued. “We are grateful to Deacon for his admirable efforts and we wish him well as he charts his future. Deacon’s Eagles Family will always be here to surround him with love, support and goodwill, and he is always welcome to join us onstage at any future concerts, if he so desires. We hope our fans will join us in wishing Deacon the very best as he moves into the next phase of his career.”
The elder Frey died in 2016 at the age of 67 from complications due to rheumatoid arthritis, at which point his son stepped up to take his place in the rock legends’ lineup with Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit. One year later, Vince Gill also joined the band on rhythm and lead guitar and vocals.
During the period Deacon spent playing with Eagles, the band primarily focused on touring, recording just one single — a cover of Dan Fogelberg‘s 1974 album cut “Part of the Plan” for the 2017 compilation A Tribute to Dan Fogelberg.
This summer, Eagles are set to embark on a number of stadium dates throughout Europe — including stops in Liverpool, Dublin, Edinburgh and London — with support from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.