Eagles Guitarist Retires Following Parkinsonism Diagnosis

01-24-2025

Longtime Eagles guitarist Steuart Smith has retired from the band after he was diagnosed with Parkinsonism. He was replaced by Dallas musician Chris Holt, who joined the band for their first Sphere Las Vegas show of 2025 on January 17th.

Smith, who replaced Don Felder in the Eagles in 2001, explained his decision to retire, "It is with profound regret that, due to performance issues associated with my recently diagnosed Parkinsonism, I find that I must bow out of my role with the Eagles while I can still do so gracefully. It's been a great quarter of a century, and I had hoped to be able to finish out this year with the band, but I must now do what's best for all concerned."

Don Henley shared, "Steuart Smith has retired from touring. The Eagles will be forever grateful for the extraordinary talents that he brought to both our recordings and live performances. Steuart will be greatly missed, but he will always be a part of our musical family. We know our many fans join us in wishing him well."

According to the Cleveland Clinic"Parkinsonism is an umbrella term that refers to brain conditions that cause slowed movements, rigidity (stiffness) and tremors. These conditions can happen for many reasons, including genetic mutations, reactions to medications and infections."