Volkswacht Bodensee - Eagles co-founder Randy Meisner dies aged 77

His passing on Wednesday night due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was announced in a statement on the band's website.

Meisner was the original bassist and a vocalist for the Eagles, one of the best-selling bands in history, whose many hits include "Hotel California," "Take It Easy" and "One of These Nights."

"Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band," the statement said.

"His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, 'Take It to the Limit.'"

The Eagles have sold more than 150 million albums globally, after more than half a century in music, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

They pioneered the West Coast sound of laid-back, country-tinged rock that dominated early 1970s American pop, and saw a changing cast of core members throughout the decades.

Fellow founding member Glenn Frey died in 2016, aged 67.

The Eagles' current lineup -- including Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit -- are scheduled to stage a final tour starting this September in New York, which is expected to continue until 2025.

Meisner, who quit the band in the late 1970s and was replaced by Schmit, was not due to take part in the tour.

Born to a farming family in Nebraska in March 1946, Meisner played with Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band, and Poco, before co-founding the Eagles.

O.Bulka--BTB