- Randy Meisner was a co-founding member of the famous rock band, The Eagles. He left the band in 1977.
- He was married twice, first to Jennifer Barton and later to the late Lana Meisner.
- Randy was also a father to three children.
- The late rocker died on Jul. 26, 2023, per the official Eagles website.
Randy Meisner was a co-founding member of The Eagles, the ultra-famous rock band that rose to fame in the 1970s. Sadly, the group confirmed the late 77-year-old’s passing on Jul. 27, 2023. “The Eagles are sad to report that founding member, bassist, and vocalist, Randy Meisner, passed away last night (July 26) in Los Angeles at age 77, due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD),” the official statement on their website began.
“As the original bass player for the pioneering country-rock group, Poco, Randy was at the forefront of the musical revolution that began in Los Angeles, in the late 1960s,” the message continued. Randy co-founded The Eagles with the late Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Bernie Leadon. He is credited for working on various albums with the group, including: Eagles, Desperado, On The Border, One of These Nights, and Hotel California. Amid his passing, below is everything to know about Randy’s two previous marriages.
Randy Meisner’s First Wife
The “Take It to the Limit” hitmaker first got married in 1963 to a woman named Jennifer Barton. Randy’s first marriage came before his massive success with The Eagles and lasted nearly 20 years. The late bassist ended his marriage with Jennifer in 1981, just four years after he left the band. Notably, when Randy married his first wife, he was still in his teens, as he was around 17 years old, per NPR.
Randy Meisner’s Second Wife, Lana Meisner
Nearly 20 years later in 1996, Randy found love once more. That year, he married his late wife, Lana Rae, who he dated for many years prior. The two had a long relationship that was sadly cut short after Lana’s sudden death in Mar. 2016, per PEOPLE. The late brunette beauty accidentally fatally shot herself at the couple’s home in Los Angeles, per CBS News. Her death took place seven years prior to Randy’s.
Soon after Lana’s sudden passing, Randy asked a judge for the “temporary conservatorship for himself,” according to CBS News. At the time, Randy noted that he was “barely able to accept the sudden and tragic loss of his loving wife.” The outlet also revealed that the pair had a “tumultuous marriage.” Additionally, court docs obtained by the outlet claimed that the late musician suffered from “bipolar disorder, traumatic brain injury and substance abuse.” Randy’s lawyer at the time, Bruce Fuller, noted that Lana and her late spouse “loved each other very, very deeply.”
Randy Meisner’s Kids
Randy welcomed all three of his kids with his first wife, Jennifer. Their first son, Dana Scott Meisner, was born in Nov 1963, while their twins, Heather Leigh and Eric Shane Meisner, were born in May 1970. It is unclear if Randy’s kids maintained a relationship with their father as adults and in the years leading up to his death. However, the 2016 CBS News article noted that at the time, he was estranged from his kids.
The same outlet reported that “all three” of his kids “filed petitions in support of the 2015 temporary conservatorship.” Eric reportedly claimed that his relationship with his dad shifted after Randy split from Jennifer. “Lana has been isolating my father from his family for over 30 years,” Eric allegedly wrote at the time, per CBS News. “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.” It is unclear what their relationship was at the time of his death in 2023.