Dave Davies reacted to Don Henley’s legal effort to recover stolen ‘Hotel California’ lyrics on X.
“It’s good he’s doing this,” the singer wrote, sharing Rolling Stone’s article about Henley. “It sets a precedent. – Don Henley has filed a lawsuit seeking the return of the personal Eagles lyric sheets that were recently the subject of a separate criminal trial.”
In June, Henley filed a lawsuit in New York to retrieve his handwritten notes and lyrics from the ‘Hotel California’ album. This marks his second attempt to reclaim them.
Earlier this year, criminal charges against Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi, and Edward Kosinski—three individuals accused of trying to sell the documents—were dropped during their trial.
Henley maintained the pages were stolen and pursued legal action after the criminal case’s dismissal. His attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, stated, “These 100 pages of personal lyric sheets belong to Mr. Henley and his family, and he has never authorized defendants or anyone else to peddle them for profit.”
Petrocelli added, “Don Henley filed suit today in a New York federal court for return of property that was stolen from him — his private handwritten notes and lyrics to the iconic songs from the ‘Hotel California’ album.”
However, Kosinski and Inciardi’s lawyers dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, accusing Henley of withholding critical information from prosecutors. Shawn Crowley, representing Kosinski, stated, “Don Henley is desperate to rewrite history. We look forward to litigating this case and bringing a lawsuit against Henley to hold him accountable for his repeated lies and misuse of the justice system.”
Stacey Richman, Inciardi’s lawyer, labeled the lawsuit as an attempt to “bully” and spread false narratives. Henley’s legal team indicated he was prepared for a jury trial if necessary. Meanwhile, the New York District Attorney’s Office is holding the lyrics until the ownership dispute is resolved. Glenn Horowitz’s lawyer has not commented on the matter.
