RIP Glenn Frey
- Galleywinter Live
- Jan 18, 2016
- 2 min read
He wasn’t the most talented member of The Eagles (Henley). He wasn’t the most affable and fun (Walsh). But, Glenn Frey was The Eagles. He was the driving force of the band, as if manager Irving Azoff was an actual playing member. Frey moved to California from Michigan with stars in his sights and songs in his heart. The Eagles were by and large his creation. He was the lead singer of their early tracks and co-writer of their biggest hits. He and Henley formed an American Lennon-McCartney with unprecedented commercial success (that still continues). Ever the consumate business man, he soon realized that the band could reach greater heights if he stepped to the side and let Henley belt out lead vocals from his drum kit. A famous egomaniac, Frey lived ever rock cliche imaginable in the 70’s. The stories of debauchery were famous from bands like Led Zeppelin, but Cameron Crowe documented that The Eagles made Zeppelin look like choir boys. Excess soon soured the vibes of the band (as it always does). The way he and Henley have treated Don Felder and Randy Meisner is near criminal. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley even find it appalling. Yet, it just works to enhance the Glenn Frey persona. A rust belt kid that shined up chrome once he found the limelight of California sunshine. Frey embarked on a relatively successful acting career and enjoyed middling solo success before the inevitable frozen hell reunion tour of ’94 that endured for the next 21 years. Glenn Frey set a bar of cool that many songwriters and musicians are still trying to reach. The sound and style he helped pioneer is still influencing bands across all genres. Specific to this website and community, there is not one band in the Texas/Red Dirt/Americana realm that isn’t influenced by The Eagles. Unquestioned success. And in some cases unrivaled ego. A true American rock original icon. RIP Glenn.
https://youtu.be/iaG00zRHDJY
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