Glenn Frey, Eagles guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, passed away Monday. He 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
18th, 2016. Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past
several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia," the Eagles wrote in a statement Monday, January 18, 2016.
"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."
In a separate statement, Don Henley said of Frey, "He was like a
brother to me; 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. But, Glenn was the one who started it all. He was
the spark plug, the man with the plan."
Henley continued, "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. 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."