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Joe Walsh once joined a reggae band in New Zealand: The experience saved his life
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.
In short
- 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.
Explained simply
Joe Walsh is an American guitarist and singer, best known for playing with the rock band Eagles. In the late 1980s he was also performing with Australian group The Party Boys, whose tour brought him to New Zealand.
Herbs are a reggae band from Auckland whose music has often addressed Māori identity and social issues. Walsh met the group while in New Zealand and later worked with them on their album Homegrown, joining their exploration of a more rock-influenced sound.
Ōtātara Pā is a historic Māori site in Hawke’s Bay, and Denis O’Reilly is a Māori community activist. Walsh later said a visit there brought a moment of clarity during a period when drinking and touring were taking a toll, helping explain why the New Zealand experience held lasting significance for him.