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- Randy Meisner is an original, founding member of the Eagles
- He was married twice and had three children during his life
- Randy died on July 27, 2023, at age 77
Randy Meisner was one of four original, founding members of the Eagles when the legendary country rock band was formed in Los Angeles in 1971. Randy, who died at the age of 77 on July 27, 2023, of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease, was instrumental in the band’s early successes, right on through its six Grammy Award wins, five American Music Award trophies, six number one albums, and five number one singles.
Behind the scenes, Randy was also a father — he welcomed three children during his life, two of them twins. Amid news of the enormously talented musician’s death, here’s what we know about Randy Meisner’s troubled relationship with his children in his later years.
Dana Scott Meisner
Randy married his high school sweetheart Jennifer Lee Barton in 1963, and the young couple subsequently welcomed their eldest child, son Dana Scott Meisner, that same year. Dana is now 60 years old. Though little is known about Dana, he did surface into the public spotlight in 2016 after the bassist’s second wife, Lana Rae, died in a tragic shooting accident.
Sadly, Randy’s lawyer Bruce Fuller said at the time that he “was and is” out of contract with his children at the time, per CBS News. Before the accident that left Lana dead, CBS reported that Dana, along with his siblings, had sought temporary conservatorship over their father over concerns that Lana was “enabling” an alleged drinking problem. According to the news outlet, Dana had become deeply involved in the drama with his stepmother. He allegedly accused her of fanning the flames of strife within the troubled family and said she “got my father into an alcohol-induced rage” over a request for money for a car repair.
Heather Leigh and Eric Shane Meisner
Heather Leigh and Eric Shane Meisner are Randy’s twins, born seven years after Dana in May of 1970. Information on Heather and Eric is also scarce, but like their older brother, they were involved in the drama surrounding Randy’s relationship with their stepmother Lana.
Per CBS News, Heather wrote in a conservatorship petition that she “controls who can speak to my father, and who cannot,” as well as leveling an accusation that Lana had a special password for staff at a residential center to know who to allow to talk to him.
However, Randy, estranged from his children completely at the time, allegedly told a psychiatrist during a 2015 evaluation that he believed his ex-wife Jennifer was working in tandem with his daughter to remove Lana from his life and to “control his money.”
Tragically, Eric was also involved. He wrote in a petition that “Lana has been isolating my father from his family for over 30 years. My father has repeatedly stated his love for his family and his desire to be with us, but Lana continually interferes with his relationship with us.”
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