Guitarist Don Felder is feeling better following a medical emergency during a performance last Thursday, February 13.
The former Eagles guitarist, who co-wrote “Hotel California,” had just begun leading his band into a performance of the group’s classic “Tequila Sunrise” when he stopped playing and looked disoriented. Attentive crew members rushed onstage and led him off as he was followed by his concerned bandmates.
The performance took place during the Rock Legends Cruise, which left from Miami that same day. The lineup for the Cruise includes Alice Cooper, Styx and other classic rock acts.
In a video of the event, the four-time Grammy winner tells a joke about Jose Cuervo tequila before dedicating his group’s performance of “Tequila Sunrise” to his former bandmate, the late Glenn Frey. The song, written by Frey and Eagles drummer Don Henley, was the first single from the band's second album, Desperado, and reached number 64 on the charts.
As the song begins, Felder drops his arms and looks unsteady. He can be seen mouthing something to someone off camera before reaching for the microphone stand to steady himself.
Felder’s team has since shared on update on Instagram Stories, noting that the guitarist was suffering from dehydration.
“We appreciate everyone’s concern regarding Don Felder’s abrupt stop to his show last night on the Rock Legends Cruise,” the statement reads. “After receiving medical attention he was deemed to be suffering from dehydration. He was given fluids, and is feeling much better.”
The statement adds that Felder’s remaining cruise performances will be rescheduled to “ensure he has ample time to rehydrate and recover fully.”
“Thank you for your understanding and remember – drink your water!” the statement concludes.
Felder was lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 2001, during which time he helped compose “Hotel California,” one of the group’s biggest hits. He was often seen onstage playing a white Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck electric guitar. Felder was fired from the group in 2001 and responded with a pair of lawsuits alleging wrongful termination and seeking $50 million in damages. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Despite his departure from the Eagles, Felder continues to perform their songs in concert.
"It’s an honor to have been a part of something like that," he told Guitar Player in 2019.
"I mean, to have two of the biggest-selling albums of all time [Their Greatest Hits] and [Hotel California]! You don’t start out at 10 years old with a broken-up Sears & Roebuck guitar thinking that anything like that could even happen, much less that it would happen to you. So I’m very proud to go onstage and play some of the songs that I wrote, co-wrote and played with those guys for 27 years. It’s a wonderful honor, and I never think ill of it. I have the highest regard and respect for that music."
Felder was inducted with the Eagles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2016, he received a spot in the Musicians Hall of Fame, during which time was presented with the 2016 Iconic Riff Award for “for creating the incredible guitar intro and solo in 'Hotel California.'”
The guitarist’s most recent album is 2019’s American Rock 'n' Roll, an all-star recording featuring performances by Peter Frampton, Slash, Alex Lifeson, Joe Satriani, Richie Sambora and Orianthi.
