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The Eagles<\/a> weren’t even a separate group when they played their first gig together on July 12, 1971.<\/p>\n The musicians who would go on to dominate popular music in the ’70s and ’80s performed together publicly for the first time in public as a backing group for superstar Linda Ronstadt<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 and at a pretty unexpected venue.<\/p>\n Don Henley<\/a>, Glenn\u00a0Frey<\/a>, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner were all veterans of various groups in Southern California’s burgeoning country-rock scene in the early ’70s when they were picked to back Ronstadt in a new band\u00a0\u2014 in fact, that’s why they were selected.<\/p>\n Henley had performed as a drummer in a group called Shiloh, which Kenny Rogers<\/a>\u00a0first discovered in Dallas<\/a> and brought to Los Angeles to record, while Frey had worked in a duo called Longbranch Pennywhistle with J.D. Souther.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/em> Why Don Henley Wants a Do-Over on an Eagles Classic<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Meisner had played in Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band, and Leadon had performed with the Flying Burrito Brothers prior to playing with Ronstadt, who hand-selected them to form a group of country-rock “all-stars” to back her on her Silk Purse<\/em> Tour in 1971.<\/p>\n The new group made its debut backing Ronstadt during a performance at Disneyland on July 12, 1971.<\/p>\n The chemistry between the band members was so undeniably special that Henley and Frey soon approached Ronstadt to inform her of their intention to split off and form a new band of their own with those musicians, leaving her to once again hire an entirely new group.<\/p>\n Though the lineup was short-lived behind Ronstadt\u00a0\u2014 the Disneyland show was, in fact, their only show with her\u00a0\u2014 the sound of them playing together with her was immortalized on her self-titled third studio album, released in 1972.<\/p>\n All four original Eagles appear on various tracks of that album, but they would waste no time making a mark of their own.<\/p>\n The Eagles released their self-titled debut album on June 1, 1972, and they were successful straight out of the gate, scoring hits with “Take It Easy” (which Frey co-wrote with his friend and then-neighbor, Jackson Browne<\/a>), “Witchy Woman” and “Peaceful, Easy Feeling.”<\/p>\n The Eagles<\/em> reached No. 22 on Billboard’<\/em>s US Pop Albums chart and was certified Platinum after selling more than a million copies, setting the band on a course to become one of the most successful in rock music history.<\/p>\n A luxurious one-of-a-kind-estate that was previously owned by legendary Eagles songwriter J.D. Souther is currently up for sale, and pictures show a stunning property that offers privacy and spectacular views of nature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat Did the Eagles Do Before Playing Together?<\/h3>\n
When Did the Eagles Play Their First Show Together?<\/h3>\n
When Did the Eagles Release Their Debut Album?<\/h3>\n
PICTURES: See Inside Eagles Songwriter J.D. Souther’s Stunning California Estate<\/h2>\n