Randy Misner is one of the most memorable guitar players in the history of rock’n’roll, and in today’s text, we are going to learn more about his net worth, his family and personal life as well as about his career beginnings and career highs.
Early Years
Randall Herman Meisner was born on March 8th 1946 in Scottsbluff in Nebraska. His parents were Jewish and worked as the tenant farmers.
He grew up with an older sister named Carol who died in 2005. He was very much influenced by his mother who spent almost her entire life singing and was always a happy person.
His father also worked as a violin teacher, which also influenced him to get into music. One of the biggest influences in his life was Elvis Presley’s performance on the Ed Sullivan show.
Randy went to the Scottsbluff High School where one of his teachers suggested he should start playing the bass. It was then that he fell in love with the guitar.
Career Path
Randy started his career in the group called the Dynamics from 1961 to 1965 but in 1965 he joined a group called Poco and later on Stone Canyon Band. However, the biggest influences in his career was his partition in the group Eagles.
Throughout a career of just eight years, The Eagles transformed from a small country group of solar harmonies into a true seventies-style American rock group, perfect synthesis of the decadent dream of Californian rock’n’roll.
Dissolved in the summer of 1980, The Eagles managed to sell more than 50 million records worldwide, four Grammy Awards and four 1 numbers on the American singles hit charts with ‘Best of my love’, ‘One of these nights ‘,’ New kid in town ‘and’ Hotel California ‘, in addition to other awards in the form of gold and platinum records.
The group was officially established in 1971 as a result of a risky idea, but made by John Boylan about insurance, at that time producer and partner of Linda Ronstadt. Boylan was looking for musicians to form a new group that could accompany the singer in the recording of her third album (and penultimate for the Capitol label), which was simply called ‘Linda Ronstadt’.
Over the course of a single night, the active Boylan managed to get in touch with four of the future Eagles: Glenn Frey (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Don Henley (vocals and drums), Randy Meisner (vocals, bass and guitar) and Bernie Leadon (voice, guitar and banjo). Glenn Frey was born on November 6, 1946 in Detroit.
His first musical influences are The Beatles and the Beach Boys; Despite this, his first group, The Mushrooms, is known as a punk band avant la lettre.
Later he collaborates with singer and guitarist Bob Seger, also a native of Detroit, until he decides to try his luck on the West Coast, arriving in Los Angeles where he meets John David Souther in a cafe. Together they create a semi-acoustic duo, The Longbranch Penywhistle, which records a mediocre and unfortunate album for Amos Records.
Later, in spite of the good will of Jackson Browne (also implied in this record debut), both lose the mutual confidence and separate; subsequently J.D. Souther will collaborate in different works of The Eagles. Don Henley was born on July 22, 1946 in Linden, a small city in Texas, “like that of Peter Bogdanovich’s last film,” Henley would later comment. In a city of provinces like that, the only thing that could be done, according to Henley, was to play.
The first group, a traditional jazz band, is called Felicity. After some years and a turn towards the country, the group happens to be called Shiloh; a short time later it dissolves. Henley then goes to Los Angeles where Glenn Frey hires him. Randy Meisner, born on March 8, 1947, begins playing in 1962 in Nebraska, with a group called Dynamics.
Some years later he moved to Colorado and joined a vocal group, The Poor, who after moving to California, won a contract with no future with the manager of Buffalo Springfield.
The real first occasion for Meisner comes when they propose to record with Poco, in 1969, their first album, ‘Picking up the pieces’, and later with The Stone Canyon Band by Ricky Nelson, with whom he recorded two albums in 1970 and 1971. That same year replaces bassist Linda Ronstadt.
Bernie Leadon, born on July 9, 1947 in Minneapolis, begins playing the banjo in a group of bluegrass in which Chris Hillman also played, who would later join The Byrds first and, later, The Flying Burrito Brothers. In 1967 Leadon enters the Californian folk circuit and records two albums with the group Heart & Flowers.
In 1968 he became part of the Dillard and Clark group, with which he recorded two albums, ‘The fantastic expedition of Dillard and Clark’ and, in 1969, ‘Through the morning, through the night’.
California is a new Eldorado in the early 70’s, a powerful magnet for all those who brandish the standards of counterculture. Musically, the bubbling is of such intensity that musicians rush from all over the United States to participate. This is the case of the four founding members of Eagles, since none of them are from California.
On the other hand, they already have a substantial musical past. Glenn Frey, guitarist from Detroit played with Bob Seger; the Texan Don Henley was the drummer of Shiloh; Randy Meisner, who comes from a Nebraska cornfield, is the founding bassist of Poco; Bernie Leadon, from Minneapolis, lent his multi-instrumentalist skills to the Flying Burrito Brothers.
Each of the future Eagles also has a certain singer voice and abilities. In 1971, the manager of Linda Ronstadt seeks to gather a country rock band able to support his protégé with brio. Don Henley and Glenn Frey are also looking to start a new band and they are ready for the experience.
On the Disneyland stage in July, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon join the band. It will be their only concert together for Linda Ronstadt, even if they all play on her first album.
The natural talent of the four musicians and their immediate complementarity encourages them to persevere. Their friend Jackson Browne soon introduces them to David Geffen as he prepares to release his Asylum Records label.
The name Eagles is quickly chosen and the group develops its repertoire by playing for a month in an obscure Colorado club. The team then flies to England and records Eagles, his debut album with Glyn Johns at the helm.
These are two intense weeks, with the producer-despot who is accustomed to the Who, Rolling Stones and other Led Zeppelin, which allow from the outset the realization of a great album. “Peaceful, Easy Feeling”, “Take It Easy” and “Witchy Woman” are all bombs that will impose the sound and compositions of the Eagles.
Wealthy sound, in addition to the extended abilities of each of the Eagles, fluid writing of county-rock titles that evoke a legendary West, harmony of voices bordering on perfection. The release of the album, in June 1972, instantly imposes Eagles as masters of the country-rock scene.
The musicians revolve relentlessly in 1972 and 1973, before returning to England to record Desperado. Sergio Leone has just made the greatest spaghetti westerns, and the imaginative iconography of the Wild West blends in perfectly with the rebellious attitude of the 70s.
Desperado becomes the meeting point of these two worlds. The Eagles are dressed as outlaws on the wallet, Stetsons, leather leggings, colts in the Holsters, unshaven and long hair: Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef just have to stand!
On Desperado, Don Henley has gained confidence in his compositional skills and co-authored the majority of titles with Glenn Frey, he brings his Texan touch to transcribe the myths of the border. “Desperado” is a poignant ballad and “Tequila Sunrise” immediately becomes one of the group’s iconic titles.
After the Desperado tour in 1973, the band flew back to England to record their third album. The first sessions of On the Border quickly mark the break with Glyn Johns, the Eagles then choose to entrust the realization of the album Bill Szymczyk, producer of a certain Joe Walsh.
If the album wants to be more rock than country, it respects however the usual skillful mixture between the titles pechus and the ballads; it is also the slow tempo of “The Best of My Love” that allows the Eagles to further expand their audience. The other novelty of On the Border is the enthronement of Don Felder as fifth member of the Eagles.
With the consequent success of their first three albums, Eagles becomes one of the leading groups of this half of the decade; he imposed a style made of polished melodies, airy songs, sudden flashes of guitars, they symbolize the poetry of the big spaces, the myth of the cowboy solitary with the tender heart.
The arrival of One of These Nights in 1975 is in the continuity of these beginnings, the cover represents a magnificent and disturbing Indian totem, the content shows a group arrived at the perfect balance of its influences rock, country and folk western; each ballad is powerful, each fast tempo is poetic.
Randy stayed in the group until 1978 and released his solo album called in 1978. From that moment on until today, he appeared several times on tours together with the other members of the group Eagles, and this band remains to be his biggest success in life.
His net worth is estimated at around 15$ million and most of the money comes from his musical performances, since he hasn’t ventured into any new businesses besides music.
Personal life
In 2016 the police responded to a 911 call regarding a domestic violence case. The husband was allegedly intoxicated and violent. Just an hour later, Randy’s wife Lana Meisner accidentally shot herself with a rifle and Randy was not in any case involved in the shooting.
Randy had fallen into deep depression after the incident and was placed under the psychiatrist hold, because he threatened with suicide.
Quick summary
Full name: Randall Herman Meisner
Date of birth: March 8, 1946
Birthplace: Scottsbluff, Nebraska, U.S.
Age: 74
Profession: Guitarist, Vocalist
Height: 1.65m
Weight: 60 kg
Net Worth: 15$ million