Names are important. Study after study has proven that the name people receive can impact their lives. What about band names? Do these carry the same significance? If people consider the fact that Black Sabbath was once named Polka Tulk Blues Band, Queen was once called Smile, and Pink Floyd used to be called Screaming Abdabs, names of bands carry some significance. While the talent behind the name is the most important aspect to success, the name sticks and ultimately sets down roots. Those roots were yet to be established when the Eagles first formed and the story behind how the band got their name comes from a unique outing in the Mojave Desert.
The Eagles began as back up and session musicians for Linda Ronstadt in the early seventies. Don Henley and Glenn Frey were recruited by both Ronstadt and her manager John Boylan. While on tour, Frey and Henley decided to form a band. Ronstadt tells the story of their formation in her memoir Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir. According to Ronstadt, after Frey and Henley were recruited for her band they had to room together, “…In those days we didn’t have enough money to put people in separate rooms, so Glenn and Don were rooming together and they each discovered the other could sing and was a great songwriter. Glenn used to call Don his secret weapon. He said, ‘I’m gonna do a band with Don. We’re gonna do a band together.’ I said, ‘That’s a great idea.’ (billboard.com). John Boylan thought it was a great idea also and had the musicians play with Ronstadt until they could score a recording contract. Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon would later join Ronstadt’s band for her summer tour for the album Silk Purse. Ronstadt suggested Bernie Leadon as another member of the band and Boylan recommended Meisner.
With Ronstadt’s and Boylan’s approval the band was formed, however, they needed a name. Signed to Asylum Records, David Geffen sent the four musicians to Colorado to develop themselves as a group. The band performed their first live show in October 1971 at The Gallery in Aspen, Colorado. Not settled on a name yet, the group played the gig with the name Teen King and the Emergencies. The name, while temporary, was used at the rest of their gigs in Colorado. Other rumored names that were considered were The Saltines and The Small Frey Dance Band. The final choice came about when the band visited the Mojave Desert.
The band was out in the Mojave Desert on a peyote and tequila-filled outing when the name came to them. Don Felder, in his autobiography Heaven and Hell: My Life with the Eagles, mentions how Bernie Leadon had been reading up on the Hopi and how the culture revered the eagle. J.D. Souther, a friend and fellow songwriter, also suggested the idea came when Frey shouted out “Eagles!” when they saw eagles flying above them (rollingstone.com). The story behind the name is unique and perhaps a little jumbled in its recollection by band members and friends, however, it came to signify one of the greatest bands in music history.
Names signify many things. When the Eagles first started out they were backing musicians for Linda Ronstadt and eventually formed their own group. Without a name and needing to develop themselves more as a band, they played some gigs in Colorado under the temporary moniker of Teen King and the Emergencies. A trip to the Mojave Desert and Bernie Leadon’s recent knowledge on the Hopi culture, as well as Glenn Frey’s revelation, helped solidify a band name that would take root. The Eagles were born and established deep roots both in music history and with fans.
~Jenna Jakes, WOGB
Related Links:
Seger’s Determination Brought Him Commercial Success
“Shakedown” Hits Number One in 1987
How American Graffiti Inspired One of Seger’s Greatest Hits
Bob Seger Sponsoring Local Teen Program
WOGB Artist Spotlight: Rob Anthony Revisits His Musical Roots
WOGB Exclusive Interview: Kip Winger
