In 1971, Glenn Frey joined a backing band. Decades later, he called it a masterpiece album “for all time”
In 1971, Glenn Frey and Don Henley joined Linda Ronstadt’s touring band, where they began to see country rock as the direction they wanted to pursue. Ronstadt supported their plan to form a group, helped connect them with Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, and gave the new band space to rehearse. The story highlights her often overlooked role in the Eagles’ beginnings.
Frey later praised Ronstadt’s music, calling one of her albums “an album for all time” at her 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. He said her four solo albums released between 1969 and 1973 laid the groundwork for 1974’s *Heart Like a Wheel*, her breakthrough record and a number-one hit. Ronstadt had also recruited the future Eagles members to play on her 1971 album.
In short
- Ronstadt helped bring the future Eagles together.
- Frey praised her early solo albums.
- *Heart Like a Wheel* became her breakthrough hit.
Explained simply
Linda Ronstadt was an American singer whose music ranged across rock, country and other styles. In 1971, Glenn Frey and Don Henley joined her touring band, where they played with musicians including Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner.
Ronstadt encouraged Frey and Henley to start a group, introduced them to Leadon and Meisner, and made room for rehearsals. The four men went on to form the Eagles, while also playing on Ronstadt’s 1971 album. Her earlier solo records helped shape the country rock sound that Frey later praised, and *Heart Like a Wheel* brought her major commercial success in 1974.