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The Eagles Reunited in 1993 Because of Travis Tritt: Here’s How

When The Eagles broke up in the 1980s, band members swore they would never get back together. But to the delight of fans everywhere, country music singer Travis Tritt somehow pulled off the impossible.

The rise and fall of a band is a common motif, border-lining on stereotype. But The Eagles followed that story almost to the letter. In the 1970s, they were one of the most popular rock groups around with a string of albums that made them world-renowned. But in the early ’80s, all that success seemed to make the group fall apart at the seams.

After a very public breakup, The Eagles seemed to be grounded. Members Glen Frey and Don Felder had a fallen out while on stage that almost devolved into a fistfight. Then, Frey and Don Henley refused to work together, recording on opposite parts of the country from each other. The stresses of trying to follow up their seminal “Hotel California” album produced two albums that failed to capture the same magic.

Travis Tritt Helps The Eagles Soar Again

Forgive the bad bird pun, but after their break up, Frey and Henley were flying solo. Both artists found success on their own, reinforcing the idea that the band was done for good. Both artists said as much during interviews. But somehow a cover album managed to bring the band together again.

In 1993, the band’s former manager Irving Azoff produced a tribute album featuring some of country music’s most promising talent. Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, and others appeared on “Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles.” Additionally, Tritt covered one of the band’s most popular songs “Take It Easy.”

But Tritt refused to record a music video for the song unless he could get the band together for it.

“The only way I’m going to do a video is if we get the Eagles back together,” Tritt told Ultimate Classic Rock. “Everybody kind of chuckled and got a big kick out of it, because nobody thought it could happen.”

Even Tritt thought the idea was ridiculous. But the band agreed, reuniting for the first time in years. Though they didn’t sing on the song, the former band members enjoyed spending time together. The music video inspired them to reunite for a MTV special in 1994 and another album. The Eagles were officially back.