LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Randy Meisner played a pivotal role as one of the original, founding members of the Eagles, the iconic country rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. He was instrumental in its early success and continued to contribute to its accomplishments throughout the band's journey, which included six Grammy Award wins, five American Music Award trophies, six number one albums, and five number one singles. Randy was 77 when he died on July 26, 2023, due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Randy was a father to three children, including a pair of twins. The details surrounding his relationship with his children have raised concerns and added a layer of complexity to his legacy.
Dana Scott Meisner
Randy Meisner married his high school sweetheart Jennifer Lee Barton in 1963, and they welcomed their first child, son Dana Scott Meisner, in the same year. Dana is now 60 years old. Not much is publicly known about Dana, but he came into the spotlight in 2016 when Randy's second wife, Lana Rae, died tragically after a shooting accident. Before the accident, Dana, along with his siblings, sought temporary conservatorship over their father. Concerns were raised about Lana allegedly "enabling" Randy's drinking problem at the time.
During that period, Randy's lawyer, Bruce Fuller, stated that Randy "was and is" out of contact with his children, according to CBS News. The unfortunate situation brought attention to the complexities within the Meisner family and their efforts to address Randy's struggles. However, the status between the siblings and Randy at the time of his death was unknown.
Heather Leigh and Eric Shane Meisner
Heather Leigh and Eric Shane Meisner are the twins of Randy Meisner, born in May 1970, seven years after their elder brother Dana. While there is limited information available about Heather and Eric, they were also entangled in the family drama surrounding Randy's relationship with their stepmother, Lana.
In a conservatorship petition mentioned by CBS News, Heather made allegations about Lana's control over who could communicate with her father and who could not. She raised concerns about Lana allegedly having a special password for staff at a residential center, allowing her to regulate who was permitted to speak with Randy.