Glenn Frey, founding member of the Eagles, dead at 67

Glenn Frey, guitarist and founding member of the Eagles, died Monday, according to the band’s official website. He was 67 years old.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our comrade, Eagles founder Glenn Frey, in New York City,” the band wrote. “Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia.”

Frey’s fellow Eagles band member Don Henley also released a statement following news of Frey’s death:

“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.”

Looking back at our own archives, during a SiriusXM Town Hall with Don Henley and Bob Seger, the two took time out of talking about their own history together to give credit where credit is due to Frey. “I knew Glenn really well, I got to know Don better later, but I was a big admirer of both of them, both their voices, and of course the Eagles were just terrific,” Seger said. “They were just taking over the whole world, which they ended up doing.”

In addition to guitar, Frey played piano and keyboards for the Eagles, wrote many of the band’s hits, and sang lead vocals on songs including Tequila Sunrise, Take It Easy and Heartache Tonight. He won six Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards and was inducted into the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Eagles.

SiriusXM hosts and DJs, many of whom have been working in rock and roll for decades, shared some of their own memories with Frey, as well.

“Glenn Frey along with the Eagles was part of the soundtrack of our lives. I remember when I first brought home that blue-colored Eagles Greatest Hits album. It was like hitting a lottery of amazing music. Then in later years we heard Glenn Frey as a solo artist and even watched him become a TV and movie star. He simply had enormous talent. Glenn Frey was one of the major reasons we love the 70s,” 70s on 7 host Jaybeau Jones said.

After leaving the band in 1980, Frey embarked on a successful solo career with several top-40 songs including The Heat Is On, off the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, and You Belong to the City, from Miami Vice’s soundtrack.

You can hear music from the Eagles and Frey’s solo career on ’70s on 7, ’80s on 8, The Loft, Classic Vinyl, Deep Tracks, The Spectrum and The Bridge.