During a court session on Wednesday, Eagles co-founder Don Henley expressed his belief that the lyrics to iconic songs like “Hotel California” should never have been put up for auction. Henley stated that he always considered the lyrics to be his property and had never authorized their sale or distribution to anyone else.
The trial involves rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz and rock memorabilia enthusiasts Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski, who are accused of attempting to sell approximately 100 handwritten pages of Eagles lyrics through deceptive means. The trio faces charges including conspiracy to possess stolen property.
The defense argues that the defendants rightfully acquired the documents from a writer who had collaborated on an unpublished Eagles biography many years ago. The lyrics sheets in question contain drafts of several 1970s rock hits, including tracks from the Eagles' renowned album “Hotel California.”
The dispute revolves around the journey of the legal-pad pages from Henley's barn in Southern California to the defendants in New York City, passing through the biographer's residence in New York's Hudson Valley. Henley maintains that he had only allowed the writer, Ed Sanders, to review the pages for research purposes and that Sanders was supposed to return them.
Prosecutors have highlighted Sanders' involvement in selling the pages to Horowitz, who then sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski for auction in 2012. While Sanders is not facing charges, his interactions with Henley and other Eagles members have been scrutinized during the trial.
Henley's disappointment with an early draft of Sanders' biography manuscript in 1980 was revealed in court, although he later acknowledged its merits in subsequent versions. Despite positive feedback, the book was never published, as Eagles manager Irving Azoff testified that the band did not approve it, with Glenn Frey reportedly vetoing the project. Frey passed away in 2016.
The trial is ongoing, with more witnesses expected to testify. Meanwhile, Henley and the Eagles are continuing their music tour, with their next performance scheduled in Hollywood, Florida on Friday.
