Lana Meisner was the wife of Randy Meisner, the co-founder and former bassist of the Eagles, one of the most successful rock bands of all time. She was also a successful businesswoman and a devoted mother to her children from a previous marriage. But her life was cut short in a bizarre and tragic accident that shocked the music world and raised questions about her relationship with Randy.
Who was Lana Meisner?
Lana Rae Meisner was born in 1953 in California, United States. She grew up in a musical family and developed a passion for singing and dancing at an early age. She attended Hollywood High School, where she met her first husband, Jerry Sulli, a drummer, and singer. They married in 1970 and had two children, Scott and Heather.
Lana and Jerry were part of the Los Angeles music scene in the 1970s and 1980s, performing with various bands and artists, including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, and Rick Nelson. Lana also worked as a model and appeared in several magazines, including Playboy.
Early Life and Career
Lana Meisner was born in 1953 in California, United States. She grew up in a musical family and developed a passion for singing and dancing at a young age.
She pursued a career in the entertainment industry and worked as a model, actress, and singer. She appeared in several commercials, TV shows, and movies, such as The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, and The Fall Guy.
She also recorded some songs and performed with various bands and artists, including The Tubes, Rick Springfield, and John Waite. She was known for her blonde hair, blue eyes, and glamorous style.
Marriage With Randy Meisner
Lana divorced Jerry in 1988 and married Randy Meisner in 1996. They met through mutual friends and bonded over their love of music. Randy was already a rock legend, having co-founded the Eagles in 1971 and co-written and sung their hit song “Take It to the Limit”. He left the band in 1977 due to personal and creative differences and pursued a solo career.
Lana supported Randy’s music and helped him manage his finances and business affairs. She also encouraged him to reconnect with his former bandmates and perform with them at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1998. Lana and Randy lived in a spacious home in Studio City, California, where they hosted parties and entertained guests.
How did Lana Meisner die?
On March 6, 2016, Lana Meisner died from a gunshot wound to the head at her home. She was 63 years old. The circumstances of her death were initially unclear and sparked speculation and controversy.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), they received two calls from the Meisner residence that night. The first call was around 5:30 p.m. when Lana reported that an intoxicated male suspect, later identified as Randy, was acting erratically and making threats. The police responded to the call and found Randy in one of the bedrooms. They spoke to him and Lana separately and determined that no crime had occurred. They left after advising them to stay away from each other.
The second call was around 7 p.m. when Randy called 911 to report that Lana had been shot. The police returned to the scene and found Lana lying on the floor of a closet with a rifle beside her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The LAPD conducted an investigation into the shooting death and concluded that it was accidental. They said that Lana had lifted a rifle from a case in the closet, unaware that it was loaded. Another item in the case shifted and hit the trigger, causing the rifle to fire and fatally injure Lana.
Randy cooperated with the investigation and was not arrested or charged with any crime. He told the police that he had heard a loud noise from another room and found Lana bleeding on the floor. He said he did not know how she got hold of the rifle or why she was in the closet.
What happened after Lana Meisner’s death?
Lana Meisner’s death was a devastating blow to Randy Meisner, who had already been struggling with alcoholism, bipolar disorder, suicidal thoughts, and health problems for years. He had also been involved in a legal battle over his conservatorship, with his friend James Newton claiming that he needed protection from his wife, who allegedly denied his mental condition and mishandled his money.
After Lana’s death, Newton filed an emergency petition to become Randy’s temporary conservator, arguing that he was at risk of harm from himself or others. A judge granted the petition on March 9, 2016, giving Newton control over Randy’s medical care, finances, property, and personal affairs.
Controversy & Case
Newton also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Randy on behalf of Lana’s children, Scott Sulli and Heather Sulli-McGlashan, accusing him of negligence, wrongful death, negligent infliction of emotional distress, assault, battery, domestic violence, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, conversion, elder abuse,
and unjust enrichment. The lawsuit claimed that Randy had caused or contributed to Lana’s death by storing firearms unsafely in the home, failing to secure them from Lana, who had a history of substance abuse and mental instability, and failing to call for help in a timely manner after the shooting.
The lawsuit also alleged that Randy had abused Lana physically and emotionally throughout their marriage, isolating her from her family and friends, controlling her finances, and threatening her with violence. The lawsuit sought unspecified damages and a jury trial.
Randy denied the allegations and filed a countersuit against Newton and Lana’s children, accusing them of defamation, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, conspiracy, fraud, conversion, elder abuse, and unjust enrichment. He claimed that they had fabricated the claims against him to tarnish his reputation and take advantage of his vulnerability. He also claimed that Newton had breached his fiduciary duty as his conservator by filing the lawsuit without his consent and using his money to pay for legal fees. He sought unspecified damages and a jury trial.
The two lawsuits were consolidated and scheduled for trial in 2020. However, the trial was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the parties agreed to settle the case out of court in April 2021. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Randy Meisner’s life after Lana Meisner’s death
Randy Meisner has been living a quiet and reclusive life since Lana Meisner’s death. He has not released any new music or performed publicly. He has also avoided the media and the public eye, except for occasional appearances at charity events or memorials for his friends and colleagues.
Randy has been receiving treatment for his physical and mental health issues, including pacemaker implantation in 2017 and brain surgery in 2018. He has also been sober since 2016 and attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings regularly.
Randy has been supported by his family and friends, especially his children from his first marriage, Dana Scott Meisner and Eric Shane Meisner, who has been visiting him frequently and helping him with his daily needs. He has also reconnected with some of his former bandmates from the Eagles, who have expressed their sympathy and solidarity with him.
Randy has said that he misses Lana dearly and thinks about her every day. He has also said that he hopes to find peace and happiness in his remaining years.
BIO/WIKI
| Name | Lana Rae Meisner |
| Birth Date | 1953 |
| Birth Place | California, United States |
| Death Date | March 6, 2016 |
| Death Place | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Cause of Death | Accidental gunshot wound |
| Occupation | Singer, model, businesswoman |
| Spouse | Jerry Sulli (1970-1988) Randy Meisner (1996-2016) |
| Children | Scott Sulli Heather Sulli-McGlashan |
| Homepage | Dreshare.com |
Randy Meisner’s Death Cause
Randy Meisner was a talented musician and a founding member of the Eagles, one of the most successful rock bands of all time. He died on July 26, 2023, at the age of 77, from complications related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe.
His death came four years after his wife, Lana Rae Meisner, was shot and killed in a tragic accident at their home in Los Angeles on March 6, 2016. According to the police, she was moving a rifle in a closet when another item in the case hit the trigger and caused the gun to fire and fatally injure her.
Facts About Lana Meisner
- She was born in 1953 in California, United States.
- She grew up in a musical family and developed a passion for singing and dancing at an early age.
- Meisner attended Hollywood High School, where she met her first husband, Jerry Sulli, a drummer and singer.
- She married Jerry in 1970 and had two children, Scott and Heather.
- Lana divorced Jerry in 1988 and married Randy Meisner in 1996.
- She supported Randy’s music and helped him manage his finances and business affairs.
- She encouraged Randy to reconnect with his former bandmates from the Eagles and perform with them at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1998.
- Lana died from a gunshot wound to the head at her home on March 6, 2016.
- The police ruled her death as accidental, saying that she had lifted a rifle from a case in the closet, unaware that it was loaded, and another item in the case shifted and hit the trigger, causing the rifle to fire.
- Her death sparked a legal battle over Randy’s conservatorship and a wrongful death lawsuit against him by her children from her first marriage.
- The lawsuits were settled out of court in April 2021.
- Lana was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.
FAQs
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How did Lana Meisner meet Randy Meisner?
Meisner met Randy Meisner through mutual friends in the music industry. They bonded over their love of music and married in 1996.
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How long were Lana Meisner and Randy Meisner married?
Meisner and Randy Meisner were married for nearly 20 years until her death in 2016.
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Did Lana Meisner have any children with Randy Meisner?
No, Lana Meisner did not have any children with Randy Meisner. She had two children from her first marriage.
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