10 Most Dramatic Band Splits In Music History

On the surface, the Eagles looked like one of the most care-free rock bands to come out of the California scene. Underneath the surface though, there was resentment festering among the members that was ready to boil over at any minute.

Make no mistake, while there was no one leader of the band, it was clear that songwriters Glenn Frey and Don Henley were the ones steering the ship for most of the band's tenure. As the group got bigger and bigger, the songwriting contributions from guitarists Don Felder and Joe Walsh began to decrease so the group could focus on more pop-friendly material. In addition to losing songwriting royalties, the band was also fracturing due to their almost daily reliance on drugs to write songs.

It all escalated to a gig in Long Beach, where the band was playing a benefit show for US Senator Alan Cranston. With Felder against the idea, he scoffed at the Senator's gratitude, which sent Frey into a fury. As the band performed, Frey and Felder were recorded threatening to kill each other in between songs. Once the band left the stage, all hell broke loose with Felder speeding away in his limo. In one single bad night, the kings of California sunshine had fallen silent.