Randy Meisner dead: The Eagles founding member and Take It To The Limit singer dies aged 77

Randy Meisner, a founding member of The Eagles and the voice behind 70s hit Take It to the Limit, has died at the age of 77.

The bassist passed away due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on Wednesday night (27 July) in Los Angeles, his band announced in a statement.

The Eagles said: "As the original bass player for the pioneering country-rock group, Poco, Randy was at the forefront of the musical revolution that began in Los Angeles, in the late 1960s. Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band. His vocal range was astonishing, as evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit".

Former bandmate Don Felder was among those to pour in tributes following the announcement, writing on Facebook that Meisner was "one of the nicest, sweetest, most talented, and funniest guys" he’d had the chance to work with.

Felder wrote: "His voice stirred millions of souls every time he sang 'Take It To The Limit'. The crowd would EXPLODE with cheers and applause. We had some wild and wicked fun memories together, brother. God bless you Randy for bringing so many people joy and happiness. RIP, my friend."

Other big name celebrities have come out publicly to pay their respects, such as Jamie Lee Curtis among others.

Meisner is renowned for his high harmonies in fan-favourite tracks like Take It Easy and The Best of My Love when he formed one of the biggest rock bands in history alongside Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon. He stayed as a member of The Eagles through to one of their most acclaimed records, 1976's Hotel California, before departing due to exhaustion.

He then ventured out solo, where he released hits including Hearts On Fire and Deep Inside My Heart. Meisner later went on to reunite with The Eagles on a number of occasions, such as when the band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Towards the end of his life, the 77-year-old experienced much hardship after it was revealed his wife, Lana Rae Meisner, accidentally shot and killed herself in 2016. He was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had problems with alcohol, leading to a judge order for Meisner to receive constant medical care in 2015.