Country musicians mourn loss of Eagles bandleader Glenn Frey

As the Eagles co-founder, singer and songwriter Glenn Frey mastered the mix of rock “n” roll and country music, and the band’s hits – including “Hotel California” and “Take It Easy”, both co-written by Frey – helped define the 1970s. It went multiplatinum and was named album of the year in 1994 by the Country Music Association. The Eagles’ band member passed away on Monday due to complications arising from rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia.

The former Eagles guitarist, estranged from Frey and the other band members since he was forced out in 2001, told The Associated Press that he felt “unbelievable sorrow” when he learned of Frey’s death. The Recording Academy gave them a Grammy award for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for Souther’s song, “How Long”, and a Grammy award for best pop instrumental performance for Frey’s song, “I Dreamed There Was No War”.

Glenn Frey was an all-American rock star determined to make it and certain he knew how.

The Eagles split following a 1980 political benefit concert that exposed disagreements within the band.

“We weren’t the Stones, but we weren’t The Osmonds either”.

Pressed on where The Eagles stood on the spectrum, he replied: “Closer to the Stones than The Osmonds – that’s right”. He said Tuesday that he had not been in contact for years with Frey, Henley, Walsh or Schmit despite efforts to reach them.

“‘I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain, ‘” Frey said, quoting a line from contemporary James Taylor. “But it works, it means whatever the listener wants it to mean”.

The Detroit-born singer and guitarist started the Eagles with drummer and singer Don Henley about 45 years ago in Los Angeles.

“I have many wonderful memories of those years and the many miles I travelled with Glenn, filled with laughter, song, parties, hugs and brotherly bonds”.

Felder and Frey had numerous run-ins during their days in the Eagles.

Forty four years into their career the Eagles managed an arena tour of Australia in early 2015, on their History of the Eagles world tour, earning mixed reviews. Ironically, the path to their fame and fortune was telling the stories of the people they left behind, providing the soundtrack to the lives of small-town and blue-collar folks in dead-end jobs and unhappy marriages who were nonetheless proud of their friends, their families, their traditions and their hometowns.

Voices from across the music community chimed in to wish Frey farewell. For Henley and Frey, like always, the principle of the matter was what was important and they were simply stating the obvious – their value was equal to each other in the Eagles and that was worth more than that of their two other bandmates.