Glenn Frey was always a rock and roller, though, and seeing The Beatles for the first time was what set him on the path to rock and roll stardom.Throughout their career, no one was going to single out the Eagles for their enormous stage presence. Except for Joe Walsh, every band member usually stood fairly still as they pumped out the classics. They make one wonder if they were just animatronics that happened to be extremely lifelike. Glenn Frey was always a rock and roller, but seeing The Beatles for the first time cemented his path to stardom.
Before Frey began listening to rock music, much of pop music was a wasteland. Sure, artists like Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly laid the groundwork for the genre’s future evolution. But no one had anything to latch onto once the 1960s rolled around.
When The Beatles landed on American soil, the country changed overnight. Compared to Elvis Presley’s raw sexuality, watching the Fab Four on The Ed Sullivan Show felt like getting four versions of ‘The King‘ for the price of one, especially when the band broke into pop staples like ‘She Loves You‘.
Seeing the band perform on television was one thing, but it wasn’t sufficient for Frey. He needed to see it for himself, and the moment he received his tickets, a frenzy greeted him.
Compared to the other massive acts that still fill stadiums today, Frey had nothing to compare it to. He recalls in History of the Eagles, “My aunt took me to see The Beatles at the Olympia.” I remember sitting back and watching the girl in front of me collapse into my arms. I was completely elated and crying, ‘Paul Paul’, I thought, ‘Oh my God.‘”
When Frey left the show, he knew he wanted to be THEM. After honing his piano skills and eventually moving on to the guitar, Frey began his career onstage. He played the Rolling Stones’ classic ‘Satisfaction‘ before being asked to work with Bob Seger.
Frey had his sights set on Los Angeles, but it was a very different world from the frenzy that The Beatles had created. When Frey arrived, everything was about singer-songwriters. He was more than ready to take on the challenge of working with artists like Jackson Brown and JD Souther.
Although the Eagles appear to be moving away from that scene, the attention to detail in their songs is reminiscent of the Fab Four. Frey had grown up listening to Motown. But the art of crafting a perfect melody on songs like ‘Tequila Sunrise‘ and ‘Desperado‘ felt like a happy medium between R&B’s soulful sounds, country music’s twang, and The Beatles’ counterpoint harmonies.
Even when the band harmonized, it was clear where their inspiration came from. It was with perfect vocal articulation somewhere between the Everly Brothers and The Beatles. Frey had already established a solid foundation with the Eagles. But his status as a staple of American music owes much to England’s golden age.
