The Eagles’ Glenn Frey Dead At 67

Glenn Frey has
died.

The Eagles guitarist, founding member and frequent singer was 67.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of
our comrade, Eagles founder, Glenn Frey, in New York City on Monday, January 18^th,
2016,” read a statement on The Eagles’ website. “Glenn fought a
courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to
complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and
Pneumonia.

“The Frey family would like to thank everyone who joined Glenn to fight this fight and hoped and prayed for his recovery,” the statement continued. “Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide.”

Frey co-wrote
most of The Eagles most notable hits, including “Hotel California,”
“Desperado” and “Take It Easy,” and sang lead for many of
the band’s top songs.

After breaking from The
Eagles in 1980, he launched a successful solo career and had several Top 40
hits in the U.S. before reuniting with the band in 1994. Fans also got a chance to see Frey in a handful of TV roles, and on the big
screen in 1996’s “Jerry
Maguire,” starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger.

The Eagles had been scheduled to appear at the
Kennedy Center Honors in December, but postponed due to Frey’s ailing health.

In a statement released on Monday, The Eagles’ Don Henley said Frey was “like a brother” to him.

“We were family,
and like most families, there was some dysfunction. But, 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,” Henley’s statement read. “But, 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. He loved is wife and kids more than anything. We are all in a state
of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow. We brought our two-year ‘History
of the Eagles Tour’ to a triumphant close at the end of July and now he is
gone.”

Adding, “I’m not sure I believe in fate, but I know that crossing paths with
Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an
impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet. It
will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it. But, I
will be grateful, every day, that he was in my life. Rest in peace, my
brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some.”

— Erin O’Sullivan