Glenn Frey 1948-2016

Glenn Frey, one of the founding members of the Eagles, who also had a successful solo career, has died in his home in New York City of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.  He had been in surgery this past November.  Besides music, he had also been involved in acting and commercial endorsements.

Glenn Lewis Frey was born in Dearborn, Michigan and grew up in Royal Oak.  He played in several local bands, and would contribute backing vocals to Bob Seger's first hit Ramblin' Gamblin' Man.  He formed the original Eagles, with whom he would mainly play guitar and keyboards, with drummer Don Henley, bassist Randy Meisner and guitarist/banjo player Bernie Leadon, all of whom contributed vocals.  The four had all been hired by Linda Ronstadt to be her backup band.  The group would later add guitarist Don Felder, replace Leadon with guitarist Joe Walsh, and replace Meisner with Tim Schmidt.  Frey and Henley, occasionally with others contributing, created a songwriting partnership.  During the Eagles' hiatus, which lasted from 1980 to 1994, Frey had several hits as a solo artist.

Read more at The Washington Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Entertainment Weekly.

Here are some songs Glenn Frey sang either with the Eagles or as a solo artist.  The first hit by the Eagles was Take It Easy, written by Jackson Browne with some help from Frey.  Leadon plays the guitar solo and the banjo.  The song has long been noted for the lyrics in the second verse, about "standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona", when a girl driving "a flatbed Ford" slows down "to take a look at me".  Although Winslow has a park dedicated to these lyrics, I've read that it was actually in Flagstaff where Browne was scoped by a female motorist.

After Felder joined the band and gave the Eagles a three-guitar lineup, they recorded Already Gone, on their third album On The Border.  For the guitar instrumental, Frye and Felder play a double lead while Leadon plays rhythm.

In 1979, with Walsh and Schmidt in the band, the Eagles recorded The Long Run album, their last before going on hiatus.  Frey sings Heartache Tonight, written with Don Henley, J.D. Souther and the above-mentioned Bob Seger.

As solo artist, Glenn Frey had a #2 hit with You Belong To The City, written with Jack Tempchin and used on the TV show Miami Vice.

He also had a #2 hit with The Heat Is On, written by Walter Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey, which appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Beverly Hills Cop.