Timothy B. Schmit

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Lore & Background

Schmit's journey to the Eagles began in 1968 when he auditioned for Poco but was turned down in favor of founding member Randy Meisner. When Meisner quit the band in 1969, Schmit replaced him on bass guitar and backing vocals. He appeared on nine of Poco's studio albums and two live albums between 1969 and 1977, composing numerous songs. He wrote and was the lead vocalist on "Keep on Tryin'," Poco's biggest hit single to that point, peaking at No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. In 1977, Schmit joined the Eagles after the tour in support of their fifth studio album Hotel California (1976), again replacing Randy Meisner on bass guitar and backing vocals after Meisner quit. On their sixth studio album, The Long Run (1979), Schmit co-wrote and sang lead vocals on "I Can't Tell You Why," which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band later broke up in 1980 and reunited 14 years later, with Schmit singing the lead vocals on "Love Will Keep Us Alive" on their reunion live album Hell Freezes Over (1994).

In Their Own Story

In 1977, the Eagles were coming off the massive success of Hotel California when Randy Meisner quit the band. Timothy B. Schmit, who had already replaced Meisner once before in Poco, stepped in to fill the role again. On the band's next studio album, The Long Run (1979), Schmit co-wrote and sang lead on "I Can't Tell You Why," a song that peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. After the Eagles broke up in 1980, Schmit embarked on a solo career, singing backing vocals and playing bass guitar for hire during studio sessions. His voice can be heard on many hits, including Bob Seger's "Fire Lake" and Boz Scaggs' "Look What You've Done to Me" (each with Frey and Henley), Don Felder's "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)" (with Henley), and Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Southern Cross" and "Wasted on the Way." He also played a 12-string acoustic guitar on Toto's 1982 single "Africa" and sung the soaring high-register vocals at the end of the song. In 1998, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Eagles.

Reader's Guide

Timothy B. Schmit's career spans decades of session work and band membership. Before joining the Eagles, he was a member of Poco from 1969 to 1977, appearing on nine studio albums and two live albums. He wrote and sang lead on "Keep on Tryin'," Poco's biggest hit single to that point, peaking at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Outside of Poco, he contributed backing vocals to Firefall's 1977 hit "Just Remember I Love You" and sang on Steely Dan albums Pretzel Logic (1974), The Royal Scam (1976), and Aja (1977). He also sang backing vocals on "Never Let Her Slip Away," a top 5 UK hit for Andrew Gold in 1978. After the Eagles initially broke up in 1980, Schmit worked as a session musician, contributing to Bob Seger's "Fire Lake," Boz Scaggs' "Look What You've Done to Me," and Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" and "You Don't Know Me at All." He toured with Toto in 1982 and with Jimmy Buffett in 1983, 1984, and 1985 as a member of the Coral Reefer Band, coining the term "Parrotheads" to describe Buffett's fans. He was a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band in 1992. Schmit released his debut solo studio album Playin' It Cool in September 1984 through Asylum Records, peaking at No. 160 on the Billboard 200. His second solo album, Timothy B, was released in September 1987 and featured the single "Boys Night Out," which hit No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his best-selling single. His seventh studio album Day by Day was released on May 6, 2022.

Did You Know?

• Schmit is the only member of the Eagles who is actually a native of California, born in Oakland and raised in Sacramento.
• He replaced Randy Meisner on bass guitar and backing vocals in both Poco (1969) and the Eagles (1977).
• Schmit played a 12-string acoustic guitar on Toto's 1982 single 'Africa' and sang the soaring high-register vocals at the end of the song.
• He coined the term 'Parrotheads' to describe Jimmy Buffett's fans while touring with the Coral Reefer Band in the 1980s.
• Schmit was successfully treated for throat and neck cancer in late 2012.