(CelebrityAccess) — Steuart Smith, a longtime member of the legendary rock band, the Eagles, announced his retirement from the group due to health issues.
“It is with profound regret that, due to performance issues associated with my diagnosed Parkinsonism, I find that I much bow out of my role with the Eagles while I can still do so gracefully,” Smith shared in a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times. “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.”
Bandmate and Eagles co-founder Don Henley confirmed Smith’s retirement as well, telling the Times, “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 part of our musical family. We know our many fans join us in wishing him well.”
Smith’s retirement comes after he missed multiple performances of the band’s ongoing residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, with musician Chris Holt filling in on guitar.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinsonism is a term that describes several neurological disorders that share symptons similar to Parkinson’s Disease, including tremor,s slow movement, impaired speech or muscle stiffness.
Smith first joined the Eagles in 2001 as a touring guitarist and session musician. He was brought in to replace Don Felder, who was dismissed from the band in that year.
