The phrase “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” was not just made up for the sake of marketing purposes. As a matter of fact, I’m sure some people probably wish it were, as these three things led to some tempestuous times. Estranged relationships, rehab facilities, hospitals, debt, and back alleys are likely just a few of the places some of the most hedonistic rock stars ended up during their party days, including The Eagles. But, in this story, we are going to recall the time they nearly ended up in a jail cell in the Bahamas.
The Eagles were the epitome of 70s rock ‘n’ roll, so you better know that they lived up to the lifestyle that the unofficial title demanded. Needless to say, they did, and they overdid it a little. When their younger years were behind them and partying caught up to them, they seemingly left that life behind them. Though, before old age helped kick their ways, a run-in at customs in the Bahamas almost did it for them.
The Eagles Agreed to Not Bring Any Drugs… Yeah, That Didn’t Work
In an edition of Rolling Stone magazine back when Cameron Crowe was writing for them, Glenn Frey and Don Henley recalled how their vacation to the Bahamas almost landed them, the rest of the band, and their manager, Irving Azoff, in jail.
Frey started the story by stating, “The Eagles were in the middle of a [1974] tour. We had two days off and didn’t want to stay in New York. We were into a big gambling thing—cards all the time—so we decided to go to the Bahamas and gamble for our two days off,” per Rolling Stone, via The Uncool.
Henley added, “We go through this whole thing about not taking anything over.” Well, that didn’t work in the slightest. Frey explained, “Everybody except Don and his girlfriend had some kind of dope on him.” When The Eagles and Azoff got to customs, the Bahamian customs agents were seemingly out to bust them.
The agents searched the band up and down and were reportedly getting ready to take them to jail. Though when Irving Azoff was taken into the search room, he ended up saving the day.
Recalling how Azoff came to the rescue, Frey divulged, “Irving, on a moral level, did the greatest sales pitch of all time. He said, ‘Now you guys look like young guys. There’s a kid out there with a blue shirt on who has gold records all over his wall; he’s a rock star. He’s just got a couple of joints with him. If you bust him here, he can’t play in the U.K., Australia, or Japan. He brings such enjoyment to people, and you’re going to end his career.’”
Thanks to their manager, the Eagles came out scot-free.
