Eagles founder Glenn Frey has died at age 67 will recovering from intestinal surgery.
Frey was founding member and principal songwriter of the Eagles. The Eagles were America’s greatest band. They are to America what The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are to the UK.
Glenn Frey and Don Henley have been the two constants in the Eagles since forming the band in Los Angeles in 1971. Without Frey, the Eagles are no more.
Henley and Frey first worked together when they were recruited by producer John Boylan to back Linda Ronstadt. Randy Meisner from Ricky Nelson’s band and Bernie Leadon from the Flying Burrito Bothers joined Ronstadt for her Silk Purse tour and the four Eagles first played together as Linda’s backing band at a concert at Disneyland.
Glenn, Don, Randy and Bernie decided to form a band and the Eagles were born. David Geffen signed them to his label Asylum, Elliot Roberts became their first manager and the rest was history (as they say).
The Eagles went into the studio with producer Glyn Johns (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Who) and cut the song ‘Take It Easy’, co-written with Glenn’s neighbour Jackson Browne.
The first Eagles album released in July 1972 featured ‘Take It Easy’, ‘Witchy Woman’ and ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’.
‘Eagles’ wasn’t an instant hit. The album only reached no 22 in the USA and did not chart in Australia. The second album ‘Desperado’ (1973) also didn’t ignite, peaking at no 41 in the USA and scrapping into no 31 in Australia. Album three, ‘On The Border’ featured the hit song ‘Best Of My Love’ written by Frey, Henley and JD Souther. It reached no 17 in the USA and no 27 in Australia.
The breakthrough album for the Eagles was ‘One Of These Nights’ with ‘One Of These Nights’, ‘Lyin’ Eyes’ and ‘Take It To The Limit’. It gave the Eagles their first no 1 album in America.
Right at this peak Leadon left and in came Joe Walsh. The next album ‘Hotel California’ became their signature record. It has sold over 16 million copies in the USA alone but is not their biggest seller.
Following Leadon’s departure, Asylum released ‘Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975’. It has sold over 29 million in the USA and is the second biggest seller after Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’.
The Eagles made one more album ‘The Long Run’ with Timothy B. Schmit replacing Randy Meisner and then the band broke up vowing to only get back together “when hell freezes over”.
In 1994, hell did and the result was the acoustic live album named after those famous words ‘Hell Freezes Over’. The album features four new studio recordings including Henley and Frey’s ‘Get Over It’ (sung by Frey) and Frey and Jack Tempchin’s ‘The Girl From yesterday’ also sung by Frey.
The Eagles made one more album, the 2007 masterpiece double album ‘Long Road Out Of Eden’.
Frey has also released five studio albums. The most recent was ‘After Hours’ in 2012, featuring evergreen classics. Frey said he made the album as a tribute to his parents. It featured one new song ‘After Hours’, again co-written with Tempchin.
GLENN FREY SONGS>/h2>
Eagles
Peaceful Easy Feeling – Vocals
Take It Easy – Cowriter & Vocals
Tequila Sunrise – Cowriter & Vocals
Desperado – Cowriter
Outlaw Man – Vocals
Best of My Love – Cowriter
Already Gone – Vocals
One of These Nights – Cowriter
Lyin’ Eyes – Cowriter & Vocals
Take it to the Limit – Cowriter
Hotel California – Cowriter
New Kid In Town – Cowriter & Vocals
Life In the Fast Lane – Cowriter
The Long Run – Cowriter
Heartache Tonight – Cowriter & Vocals
Solo
The One You Love – Cowriter & Vocals
Smuggler’s Blues – Cowriter & Vocals
Heat is On – Vocals
You Belong to the City – Cowriter & Vocals
EAGLES ALBUMS
1972 Eagles
1973 Desperado
1974 On The Border
1975 One Of These Nights
1976 Their Greatest Hits (1971 – 1975)
1976 Hotel California
1979 The Long Run
1980 Eagles Live
1982 Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 2
1994 Hell Freezes Over
2000 Selected Works
2003 Eagles – The Very Best Of
2007 Long Road Out of Eden
SINGLES
Take It Easy 1972
Witchy Woman 1972
Peaceful Easy Feeling 1972
Best Of My Love 1974
One Of These Nights 1975
Lyin’ Eyes 1975
Take It To The Limit 1975
New Kid In Town 1976
Hotel California 1977
Life In The Fast Lane 1977
Heartache Tonight 1979
The Long Run 1979
I Can’t Tell You Why 1980
Hole In The World 2003
How Long 2007
GRAMMY AWARDS
1975 Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo/Group/Chorus for “Lyin’ Eyes”
1977 Record of the Year for “Hotel California”
1977 Best Vocal Arrangement for “New Kid in Town”
1979 Best Rock Vocal Performance by Duo or Group for “Heartache Tonight”
2008 Best Country Song Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group for “How Long”
2009 Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “I Dreamed There Was No War”
In 1998, the Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in their first year of eligibility.
Glenn Frey’s final performance was the “History of the Eagles” concert on July 29,
2015 in Bossier City, LA @ the CenturyLink Center.
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