February 2016
A Tribute to Glenn Frey
Greetings! January was a great month with only a few days below zero. Only 60 days to April 1st. On January 18th, at 6:57 PM I received a text message from my son, Joe, informing us of the death of Glenn Frey, the leader and a founding member of the super group “The Eagles”. I found myself tearing as I read the text. I did not have a relationship with this man, but I do have deep and profound relationship with his music.
The Eagles’ soaring vocal harmonies and skilled guitar playing created a sound that will be around for a long time. Every band I have played has covered a song made popular by The Eagles. My trio, Big Al, plays Desperado and Take It Easy. The last concert Pat and I attended was The Eagles a year ago. It was their live performances which working bands aspire to. I know I am biased but the 1970’s was the greatest time of new groups. I attended grades 7-12 from 1970- 1976 and attended college 1976- 1980. I would lie in bed late into the evening listening to AM stations WLS out of Chicago and Beaker Street out of Little Rock Arkansas playing the new rock hits. Then FM became available to everyone at home and in their car and we were able to listen to a new full spectrum of sound.
During that 10 year period we were introduced to so much good melodic rock music with musicians who actually played and singers who were not “pitch corrected”. All the popular genres were making hits; Pop, Motown, Country, Southern Rock, Rock and Roll, Opera Rock, Disco and the California Sound. There has not been a more prolific period for melodic rock groups. Google Bands of the 70’s and take a trip down memory lane with such Bands as Boston, REO Speedwagon, Billy Joel, Elton John, Styx, Journey, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Aerosmith, Rush, Kiss, Bruce Springsteen, Foreigner, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, ELO, Foghat, Creedance Clearwater, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Spinners, The Commodores, Gladys Knight, The Supremes, Bee Gees, Tower of Power, Blood Sweat and Tears, Earth Wind and Fire, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, John Denver (and this is a small example of so many great 70’s groups). My favorite genre was southern rock; The Eagles, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Lynard Skynard, Charlie Daniels, Marshall Tucker, The Outlaws, Pure Prairie League, Molly Hatchet, ZZ Top, Little Feat, Black Oak Arkansas, New Riders, Blackfoot are few of the bands. These groups had a huge influence on the popular local MN bands such as the Daisy Dillman Band, Whiskey River and The Doc Holliday Band. It was a great decade. All of us are shaped and molded by many influences but a song has a way of putting us in a certain place at a certain time. RIP Glenn Frey.
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