The Eagles continued their successful migration into the country world this past weekend, headlining day-one of the second annual Stagecoach Festival. While classic Eagles fare such as 'Tequila Sunrise' and especially 'Desperado' have always been somewhat rooted in country, Don Henley tells The Boot the group's acceptance into the Nashville world "is a whole new universe for us." The crossover actually began in earnest last year when the group headlined the opening of L.A.'s new Nokia Theater with the Dixie Chicks. Henley admits that the Eagles, who got a standing ovation when they played the Country Music Awards, have been able to speak unfettered while others have not.
"I think people expect us to do what we do, and where other people might not be able to get away with it -- like our friends the Dixie Chicks, bless their hearts -- we get away with it," Henley tells The Boot. "I've said some outrageous things about Bush in the press. Every time I do an interview and they ask me who I would like for President this time I say, 'Any of the front-runners would be fine with me, because frankly a f---ing chimpanzee would be an improvement.' I've said that numerous times in the press and nothing has come of it."
Why does Henley think the Eagles have been unscathed by his frankness? "The fact that we can go play the Country Music Awards and get a standing ovation when we've just put out an album with songs like 'Long Road Out of Eden' and 'Frail Grasp on the Big Picture' on it, which talks about politics and religion in a very what one might call leftist sort of way, is really sort of a mystery to me," he says, laughing. "But we get away with it. I don't know if people just ignore that part of it because they love the old stuff so much -- maybe we've just made such a deep inroad into their hearts and minds that they forgive us when we do something that offends them."
There is something to be said for longevity for certain. But Henley believes there's more to it than that. "The world of country music is changing," he says. "There's still a very right-wing conservative element to it, but I think underneath that there's a whole new paradigm emerging in Nashville and country music that is more centrist, if you will."
Reader Comments(1 of 2)
Gretchen Youngat 5-08-2008
We live in a free country, and every body has a right to their own opinions about, Bush, War, and Economy. The Eagles get away with saying anything, because of their experiences with these topics. I don't know how many times, I have expressed my opinions about the F word, and still it comes out of your mouth. lol
Bob D.at 5-08-2008
Finally someone recognizes the double standard! Let's concentrate on the music, people, and not on these stars' political beliefs. The Eagles AND the Dixie Chicks are amazing musicians and songwriters -- and BOTH should have a place on country radio.
Davidat 5-09-2008
The Eagles, who are not country musicians unless the word means nothing anymore, hail from California. Blasting George Bush in California is hardly an act of courage. They hate his guts there. Blasting Bush in the South is a different matter, as the Dixie Chicks learned.
pat corbatat 5-09-2008
Who in the hell is Don Hunley (sic)? As far as the Eagles, they are NOT country and neither is most of the performers they call "country" these days. Give me Alan Jackson, Vince Gill. At least most of the time you can understand the lyrics, something that other artist's voices are covered up by loud music probably because they don't have great voices.
Mary Annat 5-09-2008
There is a time and place for everything. At a concert, in a foreign country, on the verge of war was neither the time nor the place. If the Dixie Chicks had said the same thing during an interview in the United States, I doubt there would have been such outrage.
Leanneat 5-09-2008
I hate to blame the "Dixie Chicks". It was Natalie Maine and her bad attitude and big mouth. The other two just got dragged into it. If you remember, Toby Keith had just come out with his song about 9/11 and his dad and Natalie said terribly insulting things to him about the song and about his families patriatism. Then she showed up on one of the award shows sporting a t-shirt that had a vulgur remark to Toby. Then as her head got bigger she started to insult everyone who said anything about 9/11. This is a free country and we should be able to speak our minds. I think it would have turned out differently for her if she hadn't sunk so low. She is arrogant and ignorant.
Ginny Shererat 5-11-2008
My entire objection to what Natalie Maine said was WHERE SHE SAID IT.
I think Bush is an idiot, did not vote for him in either election (I was anticipating the kind of mess we have right now) and have said so in numerous venues.
However, I never said it IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
Tom Strangeat 5-09-2008
Don Henley is correct in his assessment, as was Natalie Mayne in hers.
Just because some ultra-right wing loonies bitched and complained, doesn't mean what either of them said is less true. Bush and his cohorts are a bunch of incompetent screw-ups, and the past seven years is all the proof anyone needs.
Big Daddyat 5-09-2008
Country music is dead, folks. Has been for a while. Half the crap you see on CMT today belongs on MTV. It's a disgrace that the Country Music Association didn't stay true to their kind. Now country sounds like everything else. You've got Bon Jovi on CMT right now promoting a new "country album". "Country stars" such as Keith Urban, Rascal Flatt are simply not country. Granted, they have some good songs, but the music simply is not country. CMT doesn't do much for the true country singers anymore. Neither does radio. You rarely hear a new Merle Haggard or George Jones cd on the radio, and yes, both guys are still putting cds out. Merle Haggard has released a pile of cds in the past couple years. Thankfully, there are still guys out there like Hank Williams Jr, Toby Keith and George Strait, but it's a shame the music of the legends before them can't be passed on to the younger generations.
colinat 5-10-2008
big daddy has it right country music ain't country anymore ,it is bad pop music sung by people[male or female] who are more pretty than they are talented. The end of country was back in the late 90's when Johnnie Cash could not get a recording contract The problem is that it is manufactured rather than created.....if Hank was alive he would probably puke if he heard the swill that is passed off as country
starbucksat 5-10-2008
I actually think a lot less of Don Henley after reading his words.
I think one of the things that turned people off against the Dixie Chicks so much is that it was uncool, in a redneck sort of way, to bash your country's leader in another country. Really tastless.
They've also been disrespectful to country music, in general, as well to its fans. I have little use for them or him at this point.
And, no, Henley, country music isn't headed to the far left no matter how much you'd like to see it happen.
MK Ojedaat 5-11-2008
Natalie Maines' comment about "being embarrassed that George Bush was "from(sic!) Texas" was a completely honest, heartfelt, and PERSONAL OPINION about a man that deserves neither respect nor apologies. Saying it on a stage in London has NOTHING to do with anything. Should we Americans hold our tongues and stay mute and STUPID when we avidly disagree with our leaders just because we are in another country? The rest of the world is well aware of the idiocy of the Bush Administration. It hardly comes as NEWS that there are people who think going into a war unprovoked and without benefit of meticulous planning or thoughtful debate is a pretty bone-headed thing to do and is, quite frankly, EMBARRASSING. If "Country & Western" fans were so horribly OFFENDED by her statements, they had the right to avoid purchasing or listening to her music. What they didn't have the right to do is to keep the rest of us from listening to or purchasing her music. Destroying cd's and DEMANDING boycotts of radio stations and music stores who might otherwise play the 'Chicks' is a facist approach to being "offended" by someone's opinion. And besides...everything she said about 'W' in the following months and years after the "scandal" has all come to fruition...he IS an embarrassment, is NOT a Texan, though he claims to BE one (and I'm a Texan by BIRTH, not affect), and the fact that her words have been proven true just makes it that much more painful for the CWA "rednecks" to admit she was right. Will they apologize for trying to destroy the 'Chicks' careers? Will they take back calling them "un-American" and "whores"? Not likely. It is VERY American to exercise one's right to speak their mind...Yes, even in a foreign country. We do it all the time. Get over yourselves. Stop being so outraged by remarks that you dislike. The next time you are "offended" by comments someone makes that you disagree with, instead of throwing childish tantrums and setting out to destroy their careers, may I suggest you turn off your radio or t.v. No one is FORCING you to listen...
Timothy Kindyat 5-11-2008
Oh, please...Have any of you who justify the Dixie Chicks saying something in a foreign country BEEN to a foreign country? I travel the world for business, and while people (for the most part are kind to me as an individual) their respect for this country politically is next to zero. One of our most valued freedoms as citizens of the USA is the ability to speak freely...here or abroad. I'm from Texas (like Ms. Maines) and I'm ashamed that our soon-to-be-departed president (not soon enough) is from my home state, too. So please don't rationalize your support for an unjust invasion of a soveriegn nation on a pack-of-DOCUMENTED-lies under the veil that it wasn't so much that the Dixie Chicks made an off-the-cuff statement about the invasion in another country as your reason for dislikeing them--that's called freedom of speech. No, your dislike of them is that you got suckered in by Bush's lie, period. I'm constatntly reassuring my friends around the world that what this administration has done to our respect, AND our Constitution, are acts of the most criminal and treasonous kind--they blatently lied to us, people.
Itsmeat 5-11-2008
It's really simple. The Dixie chicks (or Natalie) are free to say whatever they like. End of story. Except for the one annoying factor that the fans are free to like it or not, and to vote with their dollars. Nothing guarantees that if you say anything unpopular that you will continue to be liked.
No one really considers the Eagles as country performers, even though they may be accepted by country fans. Fans don't boycott the Eagles, or movies by left-coast wackos. But country music fans have a "God and Country" expectation of their performers. If you bash this country, or it's president, don't expect to be loved by country music fans. And I'm really glad that it's that way.
Cliveat 5-14-2008
"The Eagles, who are not country musicians unless the word means nothing anymore, hail from California"
Don Henley is from Texas, Glenn Frey is from Michigan, Joe walsh is from Kansas and Timothy B Schmit is the only Californian.