RIP - Glen Lewis Frey (11/6/1948 to1/18/2016)
A gifted musician and songwriter, was a man of many talents, he said if his music career had not taken off, he might have became a baseball announcer, he thought that would be cool! Glen got to call a game in the summer of 1985, here in Los Angeles, along side another of my heroes, iconic LA Dodger announcer Vin Scully. Music and MLB Baseball in LaLa land, Glen was anything but shy, "The Heat is On".
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Glen Frey was from Detroit, he came to Los Angeles in his early twenties to make music, and he did more than that. Don Henley and Glen started the Eagles in 1971. Randy Meisner on bass and guitarist Bernie Leadon was the bands original members. Performing locally with a country twang. Professionally first with Linda Ronstadt's band. First album Eagles was released in 1972, a commercial success, Glen Frey was in LaLa land for "The Long Run".
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The Eagles is a band that I have listened to since the 7th grade, went to my first Eagles concert in 1976 in Tulsa, OK, seen them in Long Beach, CA (Wrong Beach Concert) 1980, Irvine, CA 1994, and Anaheim, CA 2005.
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In 1973 Desperado was released, Don "Fingers" Felder joined the band in 1974 and the third album On the Boarder was released that same year. The band was on a roll and now a solid "Rock" band releasing number one albums and hits yearly. With albums One of these Nights released in 1975, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 released in 1976 and later that year Hotel California followed and in 1979 The Long Run was released. All four albums went to number one status, with "Lyin Eyes" earning them their first Grammy award in 1975. Their Greatest Hits album became the highest-selling album in U.S. history. The album Hotel California won a Grammy for record of the Year in 1977. The Eagles were the most successful and most popular band of 70's.
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They say there is a price for success, and indeed there is. After the 1980 tour The Eagles broke up, when I saw them in 1980 at Long Beach, The Eagles imploded on stage in front of all to see and hear. That show is known as the "Long Night in Wrong Beach" concert. Glenn Frey and Don Felder were feuding and tensions between them was obvious to all but a "blind" person! They were yelling at each other, threats were made, words were exchanged on stage. After the show Don Felder smashed his guitar, walked off the stage and was done with The Eagles. For fourteen years The Eagles went on a extended vacation.
For me The Eagles and I had parallel lives, both the band and I were from Los Angeles. The 70's were their best years and my "Glory Days". In 80's members of The Eagle each went their own way. For me the 80's was "Life in the Fast Lane", my way (the wrong way). It started out really good, nothing but good times, good money, fast cars and pretty little sweet things built for speed. It ended with me paying for treatment centers, divorce and "should of's and could of's".
One of my favorite Eagles songs is one that doesn't get a lot of play. The song reminds me of my first wife "Annie", I met her at TGI Fridays in Marina Del Rey, she worked as the "door girl", her job was "to smile, look pretty and seat the right people in the right places". One of my best friends was "Sparky", he was the General Manager of Friday's, (Annie's boss). I was at Friday's one night, at closing time Sparky and I went out to the parking lot to see my new car. Annie was on her way home after work, walks by says nice car, (I say thanks), and she responds "do you need a girl to go with it? Life was getting really good for me now, I got a new girl friend and we got married two years latter. My career at the airline was on a fast track, promotions and better pay followed. Annie started modeling, life was good until she got a offer for a magazine shoot, I said no way! That was her dream, she stopped modeling altogether. We lived off my income easily, me working hard and us partying even harder. We never stopped arguing about the career she should have had, she became a alcoholic with a expensive cocaine problem too!
The Eagles song "The King of Hollywood", the first verse is:
Well, he sits up there on his leatherette
Looks through pictures of the ones that he hasn't had yet
When he thinks he wants a closer look,
he gets out his little black telephone book
I will never know was I right or wrong for not allowing my wife to pursue her modeling career. That song says to me I was right, Annie's addictions said to me I was wrong. I only hope she found a better man than me, I know I wanted nothing but the best for her maybe too much so!
Music is about life to me, The Eagles songs are about life, some of them just to much so! I laugh and cry sometimes hearing them but I would not change anything.
But first a kiss, one glass of wine
Just one more dance while there's still time
My one last wish: someday, you'll see
How hard I tried and how much you meant to me
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