Bassist Randy Meisner, founding member of rock band Eagles, dies

American bassist and singer Randy Meisner, founding member of the band Eagles, died Wednesday evening in Los Angeles at the age of 77, following complications related to a chronic lung disease, announced Thursday a press release on the site of the group.

Randy Meisner was the lead bassist and vocalist for Eagles, one of the fastest-selling bands in rock history, with such iconic tracks as 'Hotel California', 'Take It Easy' and 'One of These'. nights”.

"Randy was an integral part of Eagles and instrumental in the group's early success," the statement read. His vocal range was astonishing, as evidenced by his signature ballad, "Take It to the Limit."

Born into a family of Nebraska farmers in March 1946, the musician had played with Rick Nelson and Poco's Stone Canyon Band, before co-founding Eagles.

The group has sold over 150 million albums over a half-century career, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Pioneers of laid-back, country-tinged rock from the West Coast , Eagles dominated early 1970s American pop, seeing its membership change over the decades.

Glenn Frey, founding member, died in 2016 at the age of 67. The current lineup of Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit will embark on a final tour that will begin in September in New York and is expected to continue through 2025.

Randy Meisner, who had left the lineup in the late 1970s and had been replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, was not to take part in the tour.