GLENN FREY (NOVEMBER 6, 1948 – JANUARY 18, 2016)The former Eagles guitarist’s music will always have a special place in our hearts American rock band Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey, who was behind hit songs like “Hotel California” and “Tequila sunrise”, has died following several health complications.
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Travis Tritt has released a statement regarding the passing of his longtime friend, founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, Glenn Frey. He was the spark plug, the man with the plan, ‘ Henley wrote in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Frey was lead vocalist on the Eagles’ breakthrough hit, “Take It Easy”, a song mostly written by Jackson Browne that came out in 1972.
The Eagles’ sound would successfully blend rock and country and saw them win Grammys in the rock, pop an country categories from 1975 through 2008.
During the Eagles’ 2014 concert at the Forum, in fact, Frey compared the legacy of two uniquely Californian bands: “The Beach Boys were pioneers”.
Frey was a kid formed on the tough streets of Detroit, shaped by working-class values and the power of crowd-pleasing music to bring people together.
Inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, the Eagles continue to hold the top spot for rock album sales in North America.
They scored moderate success with their first three studio albums but it was One of These Nights, Hotel California and The Long Run which went multiple platinum in many countries around the world. Check out RJ’s thoughts on what made FREY and the EAGLES such a special part of life, and our format, here, and feel free to leave your own comments and tributes there, as well.
Frey stayed cryptic until the end about the meaning of “Hotel California”, which was generally seen as a wide-eyed account of the state’s excesses by two transplants but has long inspired elaborate theories on potential alternative meanings. He says Frey had also been put into a medical induced coma.
“What the hell does that mean?”
Felder and Frey had numerous run-ins during their days in the Eagles.
“He was like a brother to me; we were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction”.
“The bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved”, Henley said Monday. “Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide”.
The greatest irony of Frey’s incredible career was how tender and sentimental his songs could be but how cold, demanding and unforgiving he could be in the music business.
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Glenn Frey: The Art of the Song, airs this Thursday at noon on KSUT.
