On paper, the Eagles’ hiring of bluegrass guitarist Vince Gill as they adjusted to life after Glenn Frey’s passing was a surprising choice. But Don Henley says he’s become a talismanic figure in the group.
The 69-year-old has previously spoken about how the Eagles gig has allowed him to flex his secret rock guitar chops, and since stepping into the group in 2017, he’s been doing just that. As the band nears their end, with their latest tour set to be their last, Henley is full of praise for the band’s final line-up.
“It's been wonderful to have Deacon and Vince in the band,” he tells SiriusXM in light of their pop-up channel returning. “Vince Gill, of course, is one of the best musicians in the world. He's the only guy who could have filled that space.
“It took two guys to replace Glenn,” he adds, with his son, Deacon, in a move inspired by U2, joining simultaneously. “Those are the only two guys in the world, I think, that could have done it.”
“Vince is a real dream to work with,” Henley continues. “He can play anything. He can sing anything. He's got a great personality. Always laughing and joking. It's been a real pleasure to have those two guys in the band.”
The same could be said of Joe Walsh, who, having recently debuted a Yamaha Revstar on stage with the Eagles, doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
Meanwhile, the Eagles' latest guitar recruit, Chris Holt, who was sworn in following Steuart Smith's retirement, recently reflected on the “terrifying job” of trading solos with Joe Walsh.
