Another one that was screwed over by Henley Felder
Water under the bridge. RIP
Don't you mean screwed over by Henley and Frey?
The Eagles are the band everyone loves to hate. I was a big fan as a teenager but many of their songs don't hold up so well for me now, unlike for example Jackson Browne's which have stood the test of time much better imo.
I still do like a lot of their songs though, and imo, Hotel California is one of the greatest rock songs of all time. Felder deserves a lot of credit for coming up with the basic riffs for it, but Henley's lyrics and singing and took it to a whole other level.
Just about every band has one or two leaders that at least one of the other members ends up in conflict with. I read Felder's book, and while I do have some sympathy for him, he came off as kind of a whiner. You have to consider that all of the other members were singer songwriters...Felder was neither...he was just a great guitar player. Walsh had a highly successful career before joining the Eagles and was a great songwriter...and even had a massive solo hit album and single (Life's Been Good) while he was an Eagle...he brought a lot to the band.
Felder was just very lucky to be there, imo, but his ego wouldn't let him accept a smaller piece of the pie.
Meisner brought a lot more to the band but was also a bit of a whiner. He benefited a hell of a lot from Henley and Frey's songs, and he famously refused to sing Take it to the Limit sometimes in concerts just as a way of throwing a tantrum.
Henley was to the Eagles what Waters was to Pink Floyd. They've both been accused of being assholes, but they were by far the primary reason for the massive success of both groups. Both were brilliant lyricists, and in Henley's case, one of the greatest singers in rock history imo.
