The Eagles grew out of a backing band gig for which singer?

Linda Ronstadt and her producer John Boylan needed a touring band for her live performances, and they recruited Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner from their respective groups. The four future Eagles made their debut backing Ronstadt at Disneyland that July, which turned out to be their one and only gig with her. Ronstadt was trying to save money on tour expenses, so she stuck Frey and Henley in the same hotel room. The two guys discovered they could both sing and write songs, which was all the encouragement you needed back then. When Ronstadt came home from errands one day, she found the musicians had worked out the harmonies to "Witchy Woman" in her living room. She knew immediately it was going to be a hit, and the chemistry was so obvious that Ronstadt gave Frey and Henley her blessing to leave and pursue their own thing. They signed with David Geffen's new Asylum Records just months later and never looked back.