We’ve only just seen the tributes and outpouring of love directed toward the late David Bowie start to taper off, and now we have another legendary musician to pay tribute to as Glenn Frey of the Eagles passed away at 67 on Monday. While Frey was not quite the game-changer Bowie was, he was still a well-respected musician responsible in part for many hit songs. There will surely be plenty of people in the music community mourning his death, but his Eagles compatriot Don Henley has opened the floodgates with some touching comments for his former bandmate:
“Glenn was the one who started it all. He was the spark plug, the man with the plan. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn’t quit. He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven.”
Henley also said that he and his fellow Eagles are still processing the news, naturally, and they were “all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow.” Henley, like Frey, sang many of the hit songs the Eagles had and, of course, they didn’t always see eye to eye. In some ways, the Eagles are as well-known for their dysfunction, and breakup, as they are for their music. After all, these are the guys who named their 1994 reunion album Hell Freezes Over. However, on that front, Henley had this to say:
“The bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved. We were two young men who made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles with the same dream: to make our mark in the music industry – and with perseverance, a deep love of music, our alliance with other great musicians and our manager, Irving Azoff, we built something that has lasted longer than anyone could have dreamed.”
In the end, Henley summed up his feelings, and those of many Eagles fans, by simply writing, “Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some.”
(Via Rolling Stone)
