Randy Meisner, a founding member of The Eagles has died aged 77, the band said.
Meisner died on Wednesday night in Los Angeles of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the Eagles said in a statement. The bassist, who left the Eagles in 1977, added high harmonies to such favourites as Take It Easy and The Best of My Love.
Off stage, he had endured numerous afflictions in recent years – and personal tragedy in 2016 when his wife, Lana Rae Meisner, accidentally shot herself and died.
Meanwhile, Meisner had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had severe issues with alcohol, according to court records and comments made during a 2015 hearing in which a judge ordered him to receive constant medical care.
Called “the sweetest man in the music business” by former bandmate Don Felder, the baby-faced Meisner joined Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon in the early 1970s to form a quintessential Los Angeles band and one of the most popular acts in history.