NEED TO KNOW
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Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh has the flu, which forced him to sit out of a show at the Sphere on Jan. 24
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The show marked the first the Eagles have played without Walsh since 1975
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Don Henley told the crowd that Walsh is “going to be okay” and “just needs some time”
The show must go on for the Eagles — even if longstanding member Joe Walsh has to take it easy.
The legendary rock band played their first show without Walsh in more than 50 years after the guitarist, 78, came down with the flu ahead of the band’s Saturday, Jan. 24 performance at the Sphere in Las Vegas, according to Rolling Stone and the Mercury News.
“Joe has come down with a bad case of the flu. We had a choice to make. We could either cancel the whole thing, or we could man up and do the show,” singer Don Henley told the crowd, per RS. “So we came down here this afternoon and had an emergency rehearsal for two hours. And fortunately, in this band, we have a deep bench.”
Henley, 78, also hinted that other members of the band were ailing, too, as he told the audience that music “is medicine.”
“After the week we’ve had, we could all use some medicine,” he reportedly said. “I’m not going to do much talking. I’m not going to do much jumping around. I’m not going to do any squatting. I’m just going to play the s— out of this guitar. I’ve been playing these songs for you for 53 years now. It’s been a privilege and an honor.”
Joe Walsh (second from right) performs with the Eagles in New York City in 2023.
Kevin Mazur/Getty
A rep for Walsh did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The musician’s parts were handled mostly by Vince Gill, who joined the Eagles as a touring member in 2017, and Deacon Frey, who joined the band the same year after the death of his father, founding member Glenn Frey, in 2016. Instead of performing “Funk #49,” which Walsh usually does, the group played “Best of My Love,” according to Rolling Stone.
During a concert on Jan. 23, Walsh played for most of the show, but spent some songs off stage, and did not take part in the closing bow. Walsh joined the Eagles in 1975, replacing founding member Bernie Leadon.
“[Walsh] was sick last night. But he heroically made it through [most] of the show… Joe’s going to be okay,” Henley reportedly said. “He just needs some time. Give him some love.”
Despite the illnesses, it’s been a good week for the Eagles, whose 1976 album Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 became the first album to ever be certified quadruple diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The record remains the best-selling album of all time in the U.S., having sold more than 40 million copies.
The group has 10 dates left this year at the Sphere, where they started their residency in September 2024. Their next show is set for Friday, Jan. 30, and it remains unclear if Walsh will be available to play.
“When the Eagles play, people come and sit next to each other and everybody gets along. And for two-and-a-half hours, we play, and they know the words better than us,” he told PEOPLE in 2023 of touring. “There’s so much love coming at us from the audience that we play our ass off and everybody goes home happier. I’m so blessed to be able to do that at 75 years old. And that’s a gift of sobriety — I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Read the original article on People