The Eagles announce departure of Deacon Frey: “It is time for him to forge his own path”

Harry Herd/Redferns

Following the tragic 2016 death of Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, his son Deacon stepped into his father’s footsteps, playing guitar and singing with them during live performances.  But after several years of being the “New Kid in Town,” Deacon is “Already Gone.”

In a Facebook post, Eagles co-founder Don Henley writes, “Deacon Frey has devoted the past 4½ 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. We understand, completely, and we support him in whatever he wishes to pursue in the years ahead.”

Henley continues, “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. 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,” Henley concludes. “We hope our fans will join us in wishing Deacon the very best as he moves into the next phase of his career.”

No word yet on whether Deacon will be replaced.  The Eagles will kick off the next leg of their tour April 19. 

In 2017, Henley said of the younger Frey, “It’s extraordinary what that young man has done…his first gig with us was at Dodger Stadium. He had done some gigs with his father — private parties, clubs, in front of maybe 200 people. To go from that to 55,000 people is extraordinary. I don’t know many people who could have done that without freaking out.”

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