Highlights
- The Eagles threw epic "third encore" parties that were destructive, expensive, and out of control.
- The band enlisted road crew to find guests, handing out buttons instead of typical backstage passes.
- Eagles parties attracted elite guests and were well-known for being filled with attractive women at that time.
When a celebrity gets caught partying these days, it is a big deal. A perfect example of that is the time Keanu Reeves got caught up in a scandal for partying with The Matrix cast and crew. However, decades ago it was common for celebrities like Kate Moss to be known for partying.
At the height of the Eagles' popularity, the legendary band took partying to a whole new level. In fact, the Eagles liked going crazy so much that they created an elaborate system to throw out-of-control parties after performing music for their fans.
This article will reveal what happened during one of the Eagles' most talked about afterparties. Following that, the article will look at the fascinating system the Eagles had to throw their "Third Encore" parties.
The Eagle's "Third Encore" Afterparties Were Destructive, Expensive, And Out Of Control
In 1979, Rolling Stone sent a writer named Charles M. Young to speak to the members of The Eagles. The resulting article, which is titled "The Eagles: Hell Is for Heroes" gave a unique perspective on one of the most legendary bands in history. Most notably, the article gave a fascinating hint at how wild the Eagles' "third encore" afterparties were.
Early on in the Rolling Stone article, Young hints at the level of debauchery that took place at Eagles parties. Young quotes Don Henley talking about how his partying lifestyle ate a hole in the musician's stomach, and he was happy about that. “I was actually rather proud of getting an ulcer before the age of thirty.”
From there, Young goes on to quote Joe Walsh describing a disgusting moment that took place during an Eagles concert. The scene as Walsh describes it would be a rock bottom moment for some people, but it didn't seem to slow the Eagles member down in the slightest.
According to Walsh, a night of partying resulted in him vomiting and emptying his bowels simultaneously onstage. Fortunately, Walsh was able to run to an area of the stage where the audience couldn't see him first. As Walsh revealed, he had a roadie tie a towel around his waist, and he played the rest of the show like nothing happened.
After Jimi Hendrix Was Kidnapped, He Was Saved By A Mobster Whose Heroics Got Him Charged With A Serious Crime
Jimi Hendrix fans have no idea that the rock and roll legend once was kidnapped and saved by a mobster.While those stories are incredible, Young didn't see those events take place. However, in Young's article, he writes about being there to witness the aftermath of one of the Eagles' legendary "third encore" parties.
According to Young, the Eagles threw a party that was attended by "their entourage, several professional hockey players, Eddie Money, the Little River Band and a lot of locals." The next morning, Young was there to see the band interact with the manager of the hotel where they threw their "third encore" party that night.
As Young describes it, the hotel's manager came to the band's room to complain that their party got so out of control it affected the other guests. As Young heard the manager complain, “We had to close the pool.”
Young then describes the Eagles' road manager at the time, Tommy Nixon, looking over a balcony to see the aftermath of their party below. In the pool, there was a variety of "bottles and furniture [that had been] heaved over the edge a few hours before".
As the hotel manager looked over the damage in the hotel room, Nixon promised to pay for everything. That includes a painting that Joe Walk scratched the words "PARTY TIL YA PUKE" into according to Young. However, when Nixon saw the state of the pool, he simply responded, “Well, you should [close it]. It’s filthy.”
The Eagles is one of the most successful bands of all time. According to Yahoo! Entertainment article from 2021, "Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" is the best-selling album of all time with 72 million copies sold. The same article reveals that "Eagles - Hotel California" is the ninth best-selling album ever after 42 million copies were bought.
Nixon's response shows that the epic level of destruction that Young described was nothing new for "third encore" parties. It is also worth noting that Young's article seems to hint at a level of destruction and depravity that the writer opted not to describe in the pages of Rolling Stone.
The Eagles Handed Out Buttons To The Elite Group Of People Who Could Party With Them
In October 2007, The Times published an excerpt from a memoir that Eagles guitarist Don Felder published. In the excerpt, Felder detailed how he and his former Eagles bandmate felt like they needed to throw the greatest parties during the 70s. As Felder explained, the Eagles came up with a way to make sure their parties were filled with the best and hottest people.
Fleetwood Mac Cheated Stevie Nicks' Mom Out Of A Fortune After She Was Given Royalty Rights To One Of Their Songs
Stevie Nicks tried to make her mom rich but completely failed because of her Fleetwood Mac bandmates.According to Felder, two of his former bandmates, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, devised a system to put together the band's guest list.
What is the timeline of Eagles members, according to Ultimate Classic Rock?
Member: | Tenure: |
|---|---|
Don Henley | 1971–1980, 1994–2016, and 2017–present |
Joe Walsh | 1975–1980, 1994–2016, and 2017–present |
Timothy B. Schmit | 1977–1980, 1994–2016, and 2017–present |
Glenn Frey | 1971–1980 and 1994– his 2016 death |
Don Felder | 1974–1980, 1994–2001 |
Randy Meisner | 1971–1977 and one-off in 1998 |
Bernie Leadon | 1971–1975, one-off in 1998, and 2013–2016 |
Deacon Frey | 2017–2022 and 2023–present |
Vince Gill | 2017 - present |
According to Felder, when the Eagles were onstage performing, the members of their road crew were busy finding party guests "While we were onstage, the road crew would scout the audience for willing participants and offer them backstage passes for what became known as the Third Encore – the party after the show."
As Felder explained, the reason why the band called their parties the "Third Encore" was because of a policy they had at that time. "As a band, we had a policy of only ever doing two two-song encores."
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Before Allen Klein passed away in 2009, the former Beatles manger had a tumultuous relationship with Paul McCartney.Of course, the Eagles are far from the only band that enlisted road crew members to find women. However, the Eagles took that policy a lot further. As Felder explained, the road crew didn't hand out typical backstage passes.
"Later, Don and Glenn took the system to a higher level of sophistication. Laminated passes were done away with – too indiscreet – and little buttons, with “3E” written on them in yellow English Gothic print on a black background were passed out by the handful. The message was that the Eagles were having a party and would like to invite these women back to their hotel suite. No boyfriends were invited."
In Felder's book, the former Eagles guitarist also revealed that the band prided themselves on having the most attractive women at their parties. Felder then went on to quote his former bandmate, Glenn Frey, talking about what their life on the road was like during the 70s.
"Glenn [Frey] once publicly described our life on the road as: 'Got crazy, got drunk, got high, had girls, played music and made money.' He challenged Led Zeppelin to the claim of supreme party animals, maintaining: We threw the greatest travelling party of the Seventies.' He was right."
