Eagles Up For Kennedy Center Honor?

In case you missed it, Don Henley was one of the artists who paid tribute to Billy Joel when "The Piano Man" was recognized with a Kennedy Center Honors last month in Washington, D.C. This has led the folks behind the well-respected Eagles fan site, Eagles Fastlane, to nominate Henley and his bandmates for the award next year. It turns out that the Kennedy Center website has a form where you can recommend who they should honor.

In recommending the Eagles, the folks at Eagles Fastlane wrote, "As a group, Eagles have made an undeniable and significant contribution to American culture through the performing arts. It could be said the Eagles is America's band. With members coming from all four corners of the country, they have created a musical landscape that encompasses most of America's indigenous musical sounds (country, bluegrass, rock and roll, soul, funk, jazz and pop). They have provided a soundtrack for generations of American's lives. Iconic hits like 'Hotel California' and 'Take it Easy' are immediately identifiable as American music. If the primary criterion for recognition is excellence, then there is no better band to recognize. Band members constantly strive for excellence both in the recording studio and in live concerts. I understand that the mission statement of the Kennedy Center says that the award should go to individuals, but together, the band members have elevated the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world (to quote from your press release this year). No musical group exemplifies this more than the Eagles. Thank you for your consideration."

In the 35 years that the awards have been handed out, only one group has been recognized -- Led Zeppelin in 2012. The Who's Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were honored in 2008 and although the band was mentioned during the ceremony, only the two survivors received the award.