Eagles have announced that Deacon Frey, son of late cofounder Glenn Frey, will step down from performing with the group after touring with them since 2017.

"Deacon Frey has devoted the past four and a half years to carrying on his father's legacy and, after some weeks of reflection, he now feels that it is time for him to forge his own path," the band shared in a statement, which Don Henley also shared on Facebook. "We understand, completely, and we support him in whatever he wishes to pursue in the years ahead.

"In the wake of his dad's demise, Deacon, at age 24, did an extraordinary thing by stepping from relative anonymity into the very public world of his father's long illustrious career," the statement continued. "We are grateful to Deacon for his admirable efforts and we wish him well as he charts his future. Deacon's Eagles Family will always be here to surround him with love, support and goodwill, and he is always welcome to join us onstage at any future concerts if he so desires. We hope our fans will join us in wishing Deacon the very best as he moves into the next phase of his career."

Frey joined Eagles' touring lineup in 2017, shortly after his father's 2016 death. The 28-year-old musician first caught Henley's attention when he performed "Peaceful Easy Feeling" at his father's memorial service. "As difficult as that might have been, he was so brave and composed," Henley explained. "I'm sure, on the inside, he was churning. After a few months went by I thought, 'Why not see if he would like to be in the band?'"

Frey has not performed with Eagles on the latest leg of their Hotel California tour, which launched in February. The band announced shortly before the trek began that Frey would be sitting out the shows due to an undisclosed illness and that his return would "be based on his recovery and doctor’s recommendations."

Eagles will complete the U.S. leg of their Hotel California tour in late May, then head to Europe for a handful of shows in June.

Eagles Albums Ranked

The Eagles have been rightly praised for their canny combining of Glenn Frey’s city-slicker R&B with Don Henley’s country-fried rockabilly. 

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