When Vince Gill stepped into rehearsal with the Eagles for the very first time, he had to take a moment to let it all sink in. “It was surreal,” he admitted from his Nashville home studio, surrounded by his guitars and 21 Grammy Awards. “Don’s there, Timothy’s there, and I’m singing these songs I grew up loving. It truly felt like a gift.”
The rehearsal was in preparation for the Eagles’ reunion shows at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 15th and Citi Field in New York on July 29th. These were their first major concerts since the passing of founding member Glenn Frey in 2016. To honor Frey’s legacy, the band brought in two special additions: his son, Deacon Frey, and Vince Gill, both lending their voices and guitars to keep the music alive.
The Classic West festival in L.A. was set to be a historic weekend, with legends like Fleetwood Mac, Journey, and Steely Dan joining the lineup. But for Gill, the most unforgettable part was simply being in the room, making music with one of the most iconic bands in rock history.
Gill explained that the opportunity came through longtime Eagles manager Irving Azoff, who reached out to his own manager to gauge his interest. To his surprise, Don Henley later told him he was the only person they had considered. Still, Gill admitted he wasn’t sure the Eagles would reunite at all after Glenn’s death. “At first, Don said he couldn’t imagine continuing without Glenn,” Gill said. “But with time, I think they realized how important it is for people to still hear these songs. That’s the real legacy.”
Although Gill had known Glenn, he became closer to Don in recent years, especially while working on Henley’s solo project Cass County. He also kept musical ties with Joe Walsh, tossing around ideas for new collaborations. For Gill, joining the Eagles is both an honor and a bittersweet reminder of Glenn’s absence.
“It’s not lost on me that the only reason I’m here is because of something so sad,” Gill shared. “But I want to do my part to honor Glenn, the band, and these songs that mean so much to so many people.”
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