Prosecutors claim that Don Henley’s efforts to retrieve stolen lyrics for the Eagles’ song “Hotel California” were unsuccessful due to the actions of the defendants.
The biography of the Eagles, which was never published, extensively explored the rock band’s disbandment in 1980, according to the testimony of their longtime manager on Wednesday. He stated that the co-founders, Glenn Frey and Don Henley, were “thoroughly dissatisfied” with the manuscript.
2017
The book was never published, however, it eventually became a part of a different story in 2017, four decades later.
The trial for the alleged criminal began on Wednesday.
This task includes approximately 100 handwritten pages of lyrics for “Hotel California” and other popular songs by the Eagles.
The defendants – rare-books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski – got the documents via Ed Sanders, a noted poet and nonfiction writer who also co-founded the avant-garde rock group the Fugs.
Gayle King inquired about the significance of the song “Hotel California” from Henley.
Henley stated that the journey from innocence to experience is not specific to California, but rather reflects the darker aspects of the American dream, such as excess, narcissism, and the music industry. This concept can be interpreted in many ways.
Some people may dismiss it as an overplayed relic from the 1970s, but the award-winning song remains a staple on classic rock radio and personal music collections. According to Luminate, “Hotel California” was streamed over 220 million times and played on the radio 136,000 times in the U.S. in the past year.
He possessed insider information.
In 2022, the case was filed ten years after certain pages were put up for sale and Henley became upset. He purchased four pages for $8,500, but also notified authorities that the documents were stolen, according to prosecutors.
At that moment, Kosinski and Inciardi possessed the song lyrics, which they had acquired from Horowitz for $65,000. Sanders had previously sold them for $50,000 to his company in 2005.
In 1979, a friend of Frey was hired to write a band biography for $25,000. He was given extensive access, but Azoff stated that the co-founders were unhappy with the final manuscript. Azoff personally found the content about the Eagles’ breakup to be unacceptable.
When the project came to a halt, Sanders expressed his frustration to Azoff in a letter from 1982, requesting a significant sum of money. He mentioned that he had shown restraint by not approaching a prominent magazine with a story about the Eagles’ separation.
That worried them.
Azoff stated that he had access to confidential information and, with Frey and Henley focusing on their individual careers, they did not want any negative stories about the Eagles’ separation to be released.
Azoff stated that they eventually compensated Sanders with approximately $75,000 and granted him permission to search for a publisher. He also mentioned that, due to his 1979 contract, the band would still need to approve any book.
Attempts to contact Sanders for his statement on the matter through a phone call have gone unanswered, and emails sent to him were returned.
According to an email presented in court, Sanders informed Horowitz in 2005 that Henley’s assistant had sent over any desired documents for the biography. However, the writer expressed concern that Henley may be displeased if they were sold.
During his opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Penfold expressed doubt about whether Sanders truly possessed ownership of Henley’s lyric notes or had the legal authority to sell them.
The contract between Sanders and the Eagles stated that the Eagles had ownership of any material provided to Sanders for his book. The defense lawyers claimed their clients had no knowledge of the contract until after they were charged.
tomorrow
Don Henley is scheduled to give testimony tomorrow.
According to prosecutors, after Henley’s legal team claimed the documents were stolen, Inciardi and Horowitz provided changing explanations on how Sanders obtained them.
Based on the emails mentioned in the accusation, the reasons given varied over the course of five years, from Sanders discovering them left behind in a dressing room backstage to receiving them from Frey, who passed away in 2016.
According to the emails, Sanders provided some input and consent, but he also declined others, such as the backstage-salvage story.
The attorney for Horowitz, Jonathan Bach, stated that the messages were not suspicious attempts to conceal evidence, but rather a joint effort by Horowitz and Inciardi to obtain a straightforward statement from Ed Sanders to dispute an unfounded accusation.
According to the indictment, Kosinski sent one of the multiple explanations to Henley’s attorney and informed an auction house that the musician had no legal right to the documents. He also requested that the auctioneers keep the ownership dispute confidential from potential bidders.
According to his lawyer, Matthew Laroche, Kosinski was honest with everyone and “acted conscientiously and correctly.”
Henley is anticipated to give testimony. Lawyers for the defense have stated their intention to inquire about the accuracy of his recollection regarding his interactions with Sanders and the written lyrics, during a period when the rock star was living a fast-paced lifestyle.
In 2016, during an interview with Gayle King, Henley confirmed that the band had lived that particular lifestyle during the 1970s.
“Yes, everyone was participating in it. It was the 1970s.”Henley said
“Everyone was doing it, but that doesn’t necessarily make it right. Upon reflection, I have some regrets about it. We could have been more productive, although we were still quite productive.”
Source: cbsnews.com