When did the Eagles release ‘Hotel California’? Trial over Don Henley's attempt to reclaim handwritten lyrics begins

A criminal trial involving rock band Eagles' handwritten lyrics to songs from Hotel California began on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, in a New York Courtroom. Band co-founder Don Henley has accused the defendants of peddling the pages and selling them off for profit.

In 1979, the rock band hired Ed Sanders to pen a biography. While the biography was never published, Henley claims the lyric sheets were given to Sanders for its research. Sanders would allegedly sell the said sheets to the defendants, Glenn Horowitz, Edward Kosinski, and Craig Inciardi, who are accused of stealing. They pleaded not guilty.

The sheets, more than 80 in number, consist of drafts of songs penned by Henley and fellow group member Glenn Frey from their famous album Hotel California, released on December 8, 1976.

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The case first made headlines in 2022 when Eagles' co-founder Henley took notice of the sheets at an auction

According to the Associated Press, the case went to trial in 2022, a decade after some of the pages began cropping up in auction. Henley took notice, bought four of the pages for $8,500, and reported the documents stolen.

Highlighting the importance of the pages to Henley, Eagles manager Irving Azoff told the court:

"All these lyrics are very personal to him, they're a part of musical history, and it was simply unacceptable to him that they be stolen by anyone else."

Prosecutors explained the sheets were in the possession of memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski and former Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi at the time. As per a report by CBS News, they bought them from Glenn Horowitz for $65,000. Horowitz's company had purchased them from Sanders for $50,000 in 2005.

Prosecutors claim Horowitz, Kosinski, and Inciardi peddled the sheets while knowing their ownership history was shaky at best. Prosecutors further claimed they even tried to stop Henley's efforts to reclaim the pages. While not on trial, Sanders factors in because he sold the sheets to one of the defendants.

As per an email shown in court, Sanders told Horowitz in 2005 that Henley's assistant mailed him any documents needed for the biography but added Henley "might conceivably be upset" if they were sold. As per Rolling Stone, Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Penfold said:

"It cast significant doubt on whether Sanders actually owned Henley's lyric notes or had the right to sell them."

Interestingly, Sanders' contract stated that the Eagles owned any material they gave to Sanders for the book. Defense lawyers state their clients knew nothing of the said contract until they were indicted. Associated Press reports Don Healey is expected to testify, adding that defense lawyers plan to question him regarding his dealings with Sanders about the pages.

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More about Eagles

The Eagles formed and shot to fame in the early 1970s in Los Angeles with members Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner. They are known for hit songs like New Kid in Town, Hole in the World, and One of These Nights. The group boasts six Grammy Awards and five American Music awards and is one of the world's best-selling bands.

Eagles was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and ranked No. 75 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.