Glenn Frey

I sure didn't want to write this.

Now Glenn Frey.

Has it been an avalanche lately? Sure seems like it. David Bowie, Natalie Cole, Lemmy, Otis Clay, and now Glenn Frey. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone but there have been so many lately.

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say please give me a break so I can lick my wounds.

The Eagles.

First song of theirs that grabbed me was "Ol' 55." It wasn't even written by them, but one Tom Waits. Glenn sang lead on that one with Don Henley chiming in. I still listen to it all the way through when it comes on.

"Well my time went so quickly
I went lickedy splitly, out to my old 55
As I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy
God knows I was feeling alive."

Great song. They have alot of great songs, most of them written by Glenn and Don.

Two things...

Back in the day country was mainly the Hank Williamses, the Patti Pages, George Jones, Loretta Lynn. The Eagles were a big reason that changed and Glenn Frey was a big part of that.

Ask Nashville. They'll tell you.

Also, you probably can name the best selling album of the 20th century in America. "The Eagles, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975."

I have my copy, I'll bet you have yours.

Glenn was from Detroit and was good friends with Bob Seger.  Frey later sang backup on Seger's "Against the Wind," and Seger helped write "Heartache Tonight."

The documentary on the Eagles told many things but one thing really stood out to me. Bob gave some early advice to his friend, Glenn. Write songs, he said, at first they'll be awful but they'll get better and better.

And he was right.

I have so many favorites it's not even funny.

"New Kid in Town,""Take It Easy,""Heartache Tonight," "Tequila Sunrise," "Lyin' Eyes,""Already Gone" are some that Glenn sang lead on.

Did you know he was an Otis Redding fan? He named his youngest son Otis. Seger says, "He was in a country-rock band and loved soul music."

Our heroes are getting old, my friends. And as it goes, one day they're not here anymore. Father Time is undefeated.

But we thought they'd live forever. Their music does.

When Bowie died, I listened to him incessantly. When I first heard about Glenn, I thought it couldn't be true.

It was.

So sad.

"Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona..."

Off to drown in his music.



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