J.D. Souther opened. This show featured the first live performance of “Hotel California.”
According to the San Diego Tribune, Randy’s performance of “Take It To The Limit” evoked the “greatest response” from the 12,500 attendees.
“The song that seemingly evoked the greatest response among the 12,500 merrily toking and stroking folks was ‘Take It To The Limit,’ a single from their ‘One Of These Nights’ album of some 17 months back.” -Steve Casey, San Diego Tribune.
The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Buffet performed at the Yes On Proposition 15 Benefit at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento. The concert was a fund-raiser for the California Nuclear Safeguards Initiative. Proposition 15 would prohibit the construction of nuclear power plants in California and limit their use. The proposition was defeated during California’s primary election held on June 8th, 1976. The bands performed without pay. Jackson Browne was initially scheduled to appear but cancelled. Jimmy Buffett took his place.
Sacramento City College Express, April 29, 1976
Express (Sacramento City College), May 6, 1976
Express (Sacramento City College), May 6, 1976
Program
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Jane Fonda with Glenn Frey outside the Eagles’ trailer. Fonda spoke at the fundraiser.
Randy’s wife Jennifer, who was traveling with him, remembered the large, rowdy audience in Foxboro. She and Randy, along with Don Henley and Stevie Nicks (who were dating at the time), had to quickly jump a fence and run to a waiting helicopter after the crowd broke through a fence.
Lowell Sun, July 26, 1976
“‘Take It To The Limit” highlighted the set and had everyone clapping to keep time even though there barely seemed room to move.” —Boston Herald
Randy wore a t-shirt for the Eagles’ Riverfront Coliseum concert in Cincinnati on July 22nd, 1976.
“The Eagles arrived about 5:30 and spent two hours on stage, Including a pair of encores. They saluted Pittsburgh and the Steelers, and zapped President Ford, dedicating ‘Already Gone’ to him.
“And they even played policemen, Glenn Frey reminding fans who were trying to scale a wooden barrier near the stage that “you’ve had one bad concert here already,’ (referring to a ZZ Top concert three weeks before).
“We came to play,’ added Randy Meisner, sounding a little like (Pittsburgh Steelers coach) Chuck Noll.” —New Castle News, July 26, 1976
A birthday party was held for Don Henley at Bogart’s nightclub in Cincinnati after the concert. Randy played Bogart’s during his One More Song tour in March 1981.
Cincinnati Post, July 23, 1976
“The emotions are in the falsettos of Randy Meisner (especially on ‘One Of These Nights’) and the dusky tint of Don Henley.” —Cincinnati Post.
Lexington Herald-Leader, July 26, 1976
Band and crew t-shirt for the Riverfront Coliseum show.
Randy wore the same t-shirt for the Cincinnati concert, only in white, two days later at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Eagles played the Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA on July 27th-28th, 1976. Boz Scaggs opened.
Philadelphia Inquirer, July 4, 1976
Randy sang lead on “Midnight Flyer” and “Take It To The Limit,” which was “an obvious fave of the crowd,” according to Peter Crescendi from Sounds magazine. “Meisner’s sustained howl near the song’s end had everyone roaring with approval and appreciation.” Read the rest of the review below:
Sounds, August 14, 1976
“Of special note were Meisner’s falsetto work on ‘Take It To The Limit’ and Don Henley’s soulful vocals on ‘Desperado.” …Only the Beach Boys can really match them for the number and variety of voices available.” (Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, August 14, 1976)
On June 4th, 1976, Billboard magazine held an Awards Dinner as part of their 4-day Talent Forum at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Bill Graham was the emcee. The Eagles picked up an award for Talent Attraction of 1975.
Below: Randy and Don Henley accept the award at the ceremony.
Billboard, June 26, 1976
Randy’s ex-wife Jennifer Meisner accompanied him to the awards dinner. Instead of taking a limo, Randy drove them to the ceremony in his vintage red 1940 Ford pickup:
Jennifer:
“Randy and one of the others accepted the award. I remember the menu, Beef Wellington and Baked Alaska for dessert. Randy and I didn’t take a limo. We decided to take his restored old red pickup. My niece Bobbi was out there and had to babysit the kids, she wanted to see Peter Frampton.”
Below: Randy and his vintage red pickup truck. The pickup was restored by a friend of his cousin, Tony Meininger. Randy still had the pickup when he passed away in 2023.
The shirt Randy wore to the ceremony was made by his mother. He later gave the shirt to his nephew, Doug Datel, Bobbi’s brother. Doug is wearing the shirt in the photo below.
The Eagles played four sold-out concerts at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, October 19-22, 1976. Get all the details and hear audio from the shows, plus one complete concert.
The Tucson Daily Citizen reported that the Eagles performed three tracks from their upcoming album Hotel California. Although, not listed, those songs were most likely the title track, “Wasted Time” and “New Kid In Town.”
Tucson Daily Citizen, October 18, 1976
Arizona Daily Star, October 18, 1976
Below: Photos from the 1977 University of Arizona yearbook.
Using private home movie footage, shared exclusively here, we’ll follow Randy Meisner and the Eagles from LA to Oakland where they played Day On The Green on August 3rd, 1976.
The Eagles played Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu on February 12th, 1976. See photos and rare home movie footage from the Meisner’s Super 8 video camera, shared here exclusively.
The Eagles played Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado on August 8th, 1976. Several members of his family were in attendance, including his wife, children, and parents.
