Don Henley says the Eagles are done as he pays tribute to Glenn Frey on an Australian solo tour

DON Henley has spent the entire year trying to deal with the loss of his Eagles bandmate Glenn Frey — but now he’s coming to Australia to honour his legacy.

(L-R) Musicians Bernie Leadon, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, Jackson Browne and Don Henley, paying tribute to Eagles founder Glenn Frey, appear onstage during The 58th Grammy Awards. Picture: Getty

EAGLES drummer and singer Don Henley is coming to Australia for the first time since the death of the band’s co-founder, Glenn Frey.

Henley said that he was only just starting to get over the loss of his long-time songwriting partner, who died in January, aged, 67, from complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.

“I have spent my entire year trying to get my head around the fact that he is no longer with us — and I’m just now beginning to come out of the fog,” Henley said. “But the tour I did this summer was very healing for me and I am in a way the curator — or perhaps the torchbearer — of the legacy that he and I created and the songs that we wrote. I just try to honour his legacy and his memory to the best of my ability.”

Don Henley and Glenn Frey perform during the Eagles concert at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne 2015. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Henley said that while there will be plenty of Eagles songs in his solo tour of arenas and wineries when it comes to Australia in March, he was adamant that without Frey there is no future for the band. He also hosed down speculation that Frey’s son, Deacon, could potentially replace his father in the Eagles line-up.

“I’m sorry I brought that up,” he said. “The press took it, made a whole big deal of it, but there is nothing like that in the works. I haven’t spoken to his son about that. His son is quite talented — but he is only 22 years old so there are no plans in that regard.”

Henley said that one of the most emotional moments in the set for him was the Eagles hit Desperado, which was the first song he ever wrote with Frey.

“Some nights it’s difficult,” he said. “It’s very poignant because it’s the first song that Glenn and I wrote together in a little house I was renting up in the wilds of Laurel Canyon, so it brings back a lot of memories. But I get a lot of support from the audience — the crowd is my foundation, my rock and they sing it with me and it’s a beautiful moment in the show. I dedicate it to Glenn of course and it helps people get closure and helps us all move on. It’s a very important part of the show.”

Former Eagle Don Henley promises songs from his entire career on his solo tour. Picture: Supplied.

Henley described the coming show as “about two hours and twenty minutes covering the entire history of my music and Eagles music”. In addition to the Eagles catalogue to choose from, there’s also his solo hits from the ‘80s including Boys Of Summer, All She Wants To Do Is Dance and The End Of the Innocence, right through to the country album he released last year, Cass County.

“I subscribe to the Clint Eastwood philosophy of making movies — one for them, one for me,” he said of crafting his set list. “We do all hits of course, but we also do some deep album cuts and some unexpected things, songs we haven’t done since maybe the late ‘70s. This band is capable of pivoting on the spur of the moment and I can call out surprises — we don’t do the same thing every night.

“I have a 15-piece band that’s more like an orchestra, with some excellent musicians and we have a lot of fun. It’s delightful — I have a horn section and there are two violinists — a lot of singers so we can harmonise and it’s been a lot of fun. We have become a great family.”

Don Henley, with Jewel, Kings Park and Botanic Garder, March 5; Rod Laver Arena, March 8; ICC Theatre, March 10; Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, March 12; Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena, March 15; Mt Duneed Estate, Surf Coast, March 18. Tickets on sale November 28.

Originally published as Don Henley says the Eagles are done as he pays tribute to Glenn Frey on an Australian solo tour