He played a wide range of styles of music within the same concert, album, or even song: blues, rock and roll, jazz, country, and Latin.

Eaglin lost his sight not long after his first birthday, having been stricken with glaucoma, and spent several years in the hospital with other ailments.

In 1947, at the age of 11, Eaglin entered a talent contest organized by the radio station WNOE and won it with his performance of "Twelfth Street Rag.

As a solo artist, his recording and touring were inconsistent, and for a man with a career of about 50 years, his discography is rather slim.

[5] He played electric guitar in sessions for Imperial, with backup from a band including James Booker on piano and Smokey Johnson on drums.

Apart from his own work, Eaglin took part in recording sessions with Professor Longhair in 1971 and 1972 (released on the album Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge).

In 1997, Eaglin's version of "St. James Infirmary" was featured in a UK television advertisement for Budweiser lager.

[10] Eaglin appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz.

[11] In the film, he performs "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" with guest George Porter Jr. and the house band.