Don Henley filed a lawsuit Friday seeking the return of his handwritten lyrics for the critically acclaimed hit “Hotel California,” The Associated Press reported.
Henry insists the 100 pages were stolen from him and vowed to take legal action in March, when a New York court dropped his criminal case against three men for trying to sell the development lyrics.
Henry’s attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, said: “These 100 pages of personal lyrics belong to Mr. Henry and his family, and he never authorized the defendants or anyone else to peddle them for profit.”
Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski were originally charged with fourth-degree battery, according to the original indictment filed in the District of New York. Conspiracy for allegedly trying to sell a manuscript that included “developed lyrics to the Eagles’ song “Hotel California.”
Eagles co-founder Don Henry ‘hurt’ as ‘Hotel California’ trial dismissed: Lawyer
Don Henley sues to take back his original lyrics to “Hotel California.” (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP, File)
The handwritten pages remain in the custody of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, according to the new lawsuit.
In March, prosecutors dropped the criminal case midway through the trial, citing newly received emails that defense attorneys said raised questions about the fairness of the trial. The emails emerged following an apparent decision last week to waive attorney-client privilege after Henry and other prosecution witnesses had already testified.
Henry’s newly hired attorney, Dan Petrocelli, told Fox News Digital in a statement through Henry’s representative: “Attorney-client privilege is a fundamental guardrail in our justice system and rarely, if ever, words) you must waive it in order to prosecute or defend As the victim in this case, Mr. Henry has been victimized once again by this unjust outcome and will pursue all of his rights in the civil courts.
Criminal trial over stolen Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ lyrics ‘involves names’: ‘A gold mine’
The total value of the manuscripts exceeds $1 million, according to the district attorney.
Henry testified in court in March against three men accused of stealing the lyrics. (David Delgado)
Henry fought for decades to reclaim his lyric poetry. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Ed Sanders allegedly stole notepads decades ago eagle Also working on an authorized book about the band in the 1970s. The biography was never published, but Sanders reportedly retained the handwritten work and later sold the pages to rare book dealer Horowitz for $50,000.
Horowitz later sold the page to Inciardi rock and roll hall of fame Curator and memorabilia collector Kosinski. Inciardi and Kosinski tried to sell the lyric pages through Kosinski’s company Gotta Have Rock and Roll, but Henley caught them in 2012.
According to the indictment, Henley then purchased “handwritten lyrics to the Eagles’ song “Hotel California,” written by Don Henley himself, for $8,500 on April 25, 2012.”
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Two years later, Koskinski attempted to contact Sotheby’s to sell the handwritten lyrics to “The Eagle” from Don Henley [sic] Shortly after, Inciardi sent a similar email informing the auction house that the development lyrics for “Life in the Fast Lane” were also available for sale.
Eagles members include (left) Don Felder, Don Henry, Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey and Randy Meissner. (RB/Redferns)
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“When Don Henry learned that Inciady and Kosinski were trying to sell portions of the manuscript, he filed a police report, telling the defendants that the materials had been stolen and demanding the return of his property,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., said in a statement released in 2022 and filed the charges.
“The defendants made no effort to ensure that they actually had legal title and instead engaged in a years-long campaign to prevent Henry from recovering the manuscript.”
Throughout 2015, Kosinski and Inciardi continued to try to sell the 13 pages of development lyrics for “Hotel California.” In December 2016, the District Attorney’s Office executed a search warrant and recovered Henry’s stolen manuscripts from Sotheby’s and Kosinski’s New Jersey residence, according to the district attorney.
The Eagles were the most popular band of the seventies, and their reunion tour in the nineties was also very successful. LR: Bernie Lidden, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Randy Meissner. (Henry Dilts/Corbes)
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“Shortly thereafter, Horowitz attempted to take advantage of the founder’s recent death. Eagles member Glenn Frey Prevent criminal prosecution; “He created a new false statement of provenance, this time claiming that the material came from Frey, who is now deceased,” the district attorney said in a statement. In an email, Holloway Ci observed that “[Frey] Alas, he is dead, and identifying him as the source will put this matter to rest once and for all.
