Photo: RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
We’re going to need brother-in-law Ringo on soup duty. Joe Walsh didn’t perform with the Eagles for the first time in 50 years this past weekend, owing to a flu diagnosis that left him too sick to take the stage. Rolling Stone reports that Don Henley relayed the news to attendees at the band’s Sphere residency on January 24; fans weren’t notified of the absence prior to that moment. “We could either cancel the whole thing or we could man up and do the show,” he said. “So we came down here this afternoon and had an emergency rehearsal for two hours. And fortunately, in this band, we have a deep bench.” Henley confirmed Walsh was also ill during the previous evening’s Sphere show, but he managed to finish despite going offstage for a few songs to rest. “Joe’s going to be okay,” he added. “He just needs some time. Give him some love.” While Vince Gill and Deacon Frey managed to serve as apt substitutes for Walsh’s parts, the James Gang track “Funk #49” — the band always spotlights work from Walsh’s and Henley’s respective oeuvres — was replaced by the Eagles’ first No. 1 hit, “Best of My Love,” to accommodate the restructure. The band’s next show is January 30. Until then, we’ll have “Life’s Been Good” on repeat.
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