Introduction
THE UNLIKELY SPARK THAT BROUGHT THE EAGLES BACK TOGETHER — AND HOW TRAVIS TRITT MADE HISTORY
By the early 1980s, it seemed certain that the Eagles — one of the defining bands of the 1970s — would never again share a stage, let alone record together. Their breakup had been public, bitter, and final. After years marked by drug struggles, creative exhaustion, and personal conflict, the group simply collapsed under the weight of its own success.
The turning point came during the troubled creation of The Long Run in 1979, when tensions inside the band reached a breaking point. Glenn Frey and Don Felder’s infamous onstage argument — a fight that nearly continued backstage — signaled the beginning of the end. By 1980, the members completed Eagles Live while working on opposite coasts, barely speaking. When the album wrapped, they scattered into solo careers, and the idea of a reunion became little more than a punchline.
In the years that followed, Don Henley soared with hits like “The Boys of Summer” and “Dirty Laundry,” while Frey earned major success with soundtrack classics such as “The Heat Is On” and “You Belong to the City.” Both repeatedly dismissed any possibility of the Eagles reforming.
But in 1993, an unexpected opportunity arose. Irving Azoff, the band’s former manager, began assembling Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, a tribute album featuring top country artists. Among the stars participating were Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Trisha Yearwood. Leading the project was Travis Tritt, recording a lively cover of the Eagles’ breakthrough hit, “Take It Easy.”
When his label requested a music video to accompany the release, Tritt offered a bold condition: he would only film it if the Eagles appeared in the video with him. What began as a joke suddenly became reality. Enough years — and enough healing — had passed. On December 6, 1993, Tritt and the Long Run–era lineup of Henley, Frey, Felder, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit gathered on set, laughing, shooting pool, and rediscovering the camaraderie they once believed lost forever.
The experience sparked conversations — real ones — about reuniting. By April 1994, the Eagles were officially back together, recording their MTV special and releasing the wildly successful Hell Freezes Over album and tour, which introduced their legacy to a new generation.
Though the band has weathered lineup changes, legal battles, and the heartbreaking loss of Glenn Frey, the Eagles continue to soar. Today, Vince Gill and Deacon Frey help carry the music forward — all thanks to an improbable moment set in motion by Travis Tritt.