I loved the country rock of the Eagles. We lost Glenn Frey the other day, one of the Eagles’ founders. He left us at 67, dying from a complicated mix of ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia. Because of his dire condition, he was placed in a medically induced coma in November, 2015 and on January 18th, 2016, he died.
He was a guitarist, lead vocalist and a prolific song writer, leaving us with many celebrated songs that he penned with fellow artists like, Don Henley, Jack Tempchin, J.D. Souther, Bob Seger and Jackson Browne. Who hasn’t heard “Desperado” in an elevator or at the shopping mall? His greatest co-written songs also include, Take It Easy, Tequila Sunrise, James Dean, Lyin’ Eyes, After the Thrill is Gone, New Kid in Town, Heartache Tonight and The One You Love.
The Eagles were chart toppers, forming a country rock band in 1971 composed of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Meisner. At the end of the seventies, they had released seven studio albums; the eighth was released in 2007. Their musical accomplishments included in an induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. They won six Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, produced six number one albums and five number one singles, plus they ranked 37 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The Eagles wouldn’t have been the great band they were without Glenn Frey. He led many of their songs with his strong vocals keeping a strong focus on structure, melody and harmony. While the Eagles didn’t command much respect from their Rock and Roll peers during their heyday, today long after the glory years their influence seems just as strong as when their songs dominated the airwaves. It just goes to show you, the greatest are always imitated and imitation still is the sincerest form of flattery.