# Joe Walsh once joined a reggae band in New Zealand: The experience saved his life

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/joe-walsh-once-joined-a-reggae-band-in-new-zealand-the-experience-saved-his-life/
- Published: 2026-11-04T02:16:53+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T06:56:22+00:00
- Original publisher: Louder
- Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/joe-walsh-herbs-reggae-new-zealand
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Walsh joined New Zealand band Herbs during a difficult period.
- He helped make the band’s 1990 album *Homegrown*.
- A visit to a Māori site gave him a moment of clarity.

## Summary

Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh was struggling with heavy drinking and the demands of touring when he travelled to New Zealand and joined Auckland reggae band Herbs. The experience gave him a break from his old life and, during a visit to a sacred Māori site, a moment of clarity that he later described as life-changing.

Walsh met Herbs while touring with The Party Boys and went on to help produce their 1990 album *Homegrown*. He co-wrote three songs with the band, two of which featured his vocals, as Herbs explored a rockier sound. In 1989, activist Denis O’Reilly took Walsh to Ōtātara Pā and presented him with a carved bone hook; Walsh later called the visit an epiphany and the hook his talisman.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.