Glenn Frey’s Son Deacon Departs Eagles After Filling In for Late Father

Glenn Frey’s son, Deacon, has left the Eagles after playing with the band his late father co-founded for the past four-and-a-half years.

The Eagles announced the decision April 6 in a note on their website, “Deacon Frey has devoted the past 4½ years to carrying on his father’s legacy and, after some weeks of reflection, he now feels that it is time for him to forge his own path. We understand, completely, and we support him in whatever he wishes to pursue in the years ahead.”

The younger Frey first filled in for his father when the Eagles returned to the stage in 2017, one year after Glenn Frey died in 2016 (country star Vince Gill was also tapped to augment the live lineup). While Deacon continued to play with the band over the next several years, at the start of 2022, when the Eagles resumed their Hotel California tour, the group said in a since-deleted but widely reported Facebook note, that he would be temporarily side-lined due to illness. No further info about his illness was given at the time, nor was it mentioned in the note about Deacon’s departure. 

Still, the Eagles had nothing but praise for Deacon, writing, “In the wake of his dad’s demise, Deacon, at age 24, did an extraordinary thing by stepping from relative anonymity into the very public world of his father’s long illustrious career. We are grateful to Deacon for his admirable efforts and we wish him well as he charts his future.”

The band added that there would always be a spot for Deacon onstage “at any future concerts, if he so desires.” They concluded, “We hope our fans will join us in wishing Deacon the very best as he moves into the next phase of his career.”

The Eagles will return to the road later this month, kicking off the next leg of their tour April 19 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The band has North American dates scheduled through May, after which they’ll head to Europe and the U.K. for a handful of shows in June.