On This Day in 1980, The Eagles and Jackson Browne Were Indirectly Involved in an Asylum Records Stickup

On March 20, 1980, the Eagles and Jackson Browne inadvertently got themselves involved in a stickup at Asylum Records in New York City, despite neither act being close to the label’s headquarters at the time. The short-lived fiasco proved to be a harrowing day for the employees at Asylum, though, thankfully, everyone walked away from the situation without injury.

The hostage situation ended in a matter of hours, but not before the man behind the stickup made his requests.

The Asylum Records Stickup Involving the Eagles and Jackson Browne

The receptionist behind the front desk at the Electra Asylum offices in New York City likely thought nothing of the arrival of Joseph Paul Rivera, a normal-looking stranger who came in from off the street and walked to their workstation. Rivera requested to speak to Jackson Browne or the Eagles, specifically Don Henley or Glenn Frey. Unsure of how to process his request, the receptionist called in the office manager, who sat down to speak with Rivera.

The situation took a drastic turn when Rivera pulled out a .357 magnum gun and demanded that they bring Browne, Henley, or Frey out to talk to him. Rivera, who was a truck driver, had recently been the victim of a mugging when some men sold his truck while he was recovering from his injuries in the hospital. The trucker needed $2,500 to file a lawsuit against the people who sold his livelihood, and he believed one of the musicians he requested could help him come up with the funds.

However, there was one major problem with Rivera’s plan: neither Browne nor the Eagles were at the office. Both musical acts primarily resided in southern California, nearly 3,000 miles away. The next details in the story, depending on which version you read.

How The California Band’s Massive Hit Helped Put An End To A Hostage Situation

According to some accounts, Joseph Paul Rivera called his favorite radio station to request they play the Eagles’ massive hit “Desperado” while he and the rest of the likely terrified Asylum Records employees waited for the police to arrive. Other retellings claim that it was the NYPD that called WLPH-FM DJ Jimmy Frink, who prefaced the song with an announcement: “This is “Desperado” for the desperate trucker.”

Per the latter report from 98.9 KKZX, hearing the moving soft rock track led Rivera to burst into tears, put down his weapon, and hand himself over to the police. Everyone walked away from the tense standoff without injury, and Rivera, of course, never managed to get that $2,500 from his easy-listening heroes as he had hoped.

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