Glenn Frey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Glenn Frey
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Frey performing with the Eagles in 2008
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Glenn Lewis Frey
November 6, 1948 |
| Died | January 18, 2016 (aged 67) New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1966–2015 |
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| Children | 3 |
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Glenn Lewis Frey (November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was a very important founding member of the famous rock band Eagles. Glenn Frey was a lead singer and frontman for the Eagles. He shared these roles with his bandmate Don Henley. Together, they wrote most of the Eagles' popular songs. Frey played guitar and keyboards. He sang lead vocals on many hit songs like "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Tequila Sunrise", and "Hotel California".
After the Eagles took a break from 1980 to 1994, Glenn Frey started a successful solo career. He released his first album, No Fun Aloud, in 1982. He had many Top 40 hits, including "The One You Love" and "The Heat Is On". As a member of the Eagles, Frey won six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards. The Eagles joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Glenn Frey had 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This includes his solo songs and those with the Eagles.
Who Was Glenn Frey?
Glenn Lewis Frey was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 6, 1948. He grew up in a nearby town called Royal Oak. He started learning piano when he was five years old. Later, he switched to playing the guitar. In the mid-1960s, he became part of the Detroit rock music scene. One of his first bands was called the Subterraneans.
After finishing high school in 1966, Frey joined a local band called The Four of Us. He also went to Oakland Community College during this time. In 1967, he formed another band called the Mushrooms. That same year, Frey met Bob Seger, a famous musician. Seger helped Frey get a recording contract. Seger also wrote and produced the Mushrooms' first song, "Such a Lovely Child." Frey also played acoustic guitar and sang backup on Seger's 1968 hit song, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man". Seger encouraged Frey to write his own songs. They stayed good friends and sometimes wrote songs together.
In Detroit, Frey also met Joan Sliwin. She was part of a local music group. Frey later moved to Los Angeles to reconnect with her. There, he met J. D. Souther. Frey went back to Detroit for a short time, but then returned to Los Angeles. He formed a music duo with Souther called Longbranch Pennywhistle. They released an album in 1969. During this time, Frey also met Jackson Browne. All three musicians lived in the same apartment building. Frey said he learned a lot about songwriting by listening to Browne.
Joining The Eagles
Glenn Frey met drummer Don Henley in 1970. They were both signed to the same record label. They spent time at a famous music club called the Troubadour. When singer Linda Ronstadt needed a band for her tour, her manager hired Frey. Frey then asked Don Henley to join Ronstadt's band. Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon were also hired.
During the tour, Frey and Henley decided to form their own band. Meisner joined on bass guitar and Leadon on guitar. This is how the Eagles were formed. Frey played guitar and keyboards, and Henley played drums. The Eagles became one of the world's most successful music groups. Frey wrote or co-wrote many of the band's songs. He often wrote with Don Henley. Frey sang lead vocals on many Eagles hits. These include "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Lyin' Eyes", and "New Kid in Town".
The Eagles broke up around 1980. They reunited in 1994 and released a new album called Hell Freezes Over. This album had live songs and four new ones. A tour followed the album. In 2012, Frey explained that when the Eagles first broke up, people would ask when they would get back together. He and Don Henley used to joke, "When Hell freezes over." Frey said they had a lot of fun together, more than people realized. At their first reunion concert in 1994, Frey told the crowd, "For the record, we never broke up. We just took a 14-year vacation."
The Eagles released another album, Long Road Out of Eden, in 2007. Frey also took part in the Eagles' tour for this album from 2008 to 2011. In May 2012, Frey received an honorary music degree from Berklee College of Music. His bandmates Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit also received degrees.
In 2013, a two-part documentary called History of the Eagles was released. It won an Emmy Award. A world tour followed this documentary. The tour ended on July 29, 2015. This concert was Glenn Frey's last public performance with the band.
Solo Success
After the Eagles broke up, Glenn Frey had a very successful solo career in the 1980s. He had two songs that reached No. 2 on the charts. In 1984, he recorded "The Heat Is On". This song was the main theme for the movie Beverly Hills Cop. Then, Frey sang "You Belong to the City" from the TV series Miami Vice. The soundtrack for Miami Vice was No. 1 for 11 weeks in 1985. Another song he contributed, "Smuggler's Blues", reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. During his solo career, Frey had 12 songs that made it into the U.S. Top 100. Many of these were written with Jack Tempchin.
Frey was first asked to record "Shakedown" for the movie Beverly Hills Cop II. But he didn't like the lyrics and got sick. So, the song was given to Bob Seger. When the song became No. 1, Frey called Seger to congratulate him. He joked, "At least we kept the money in Michigan!"
Frey also contributed songs to other movie soundtracks. He sang "Flip City" for Ghostbusters II and "Part of Me, Part of You" for Thelma & Louise. In 2005, he appeared on the album B.B. King & Friends: 80. In 2009, Glenn Frey was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. On May 8, 2012, he released his last solo album, After Hours. This album featured covers of classic pop songs from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Acting and Family Life
Glenn Frey also had an acting career. He appeared as a guest star on the TV show Miami Vice. This episode was inspired by his hit song "Smuggler's Blues." He also had a role in the TV series Wiseguy. In the late 1990s, he guest-starred on Nash Bridges as a police officer. In 2002, he was on HBO's Arliss.
Frey's first movie role was in Let's Get Harry (1986). This film was about a group of plumbers who travel to Colombia to rescue a friend. Frey also had a smaller role in Cameron Crowe's movie Jerry Maguire (1996). He played the general manager of a football team.
Glenn Frey was married twice. From 1983 to 1988, he was married to Janie Beggs. In 1990, he married Cindy Millican, a dancer and choreographer. They had three children: a daughter named Taylor, and two sons, Deacon and Otis. They stayed married until his death. After his father passed away, Deacon toured with the Eagles for a while. He later started his own solo music career.
His Legacy
From around 2000, Glenn Frey suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. This disease affected his joints. The medicine he took for it caused other health problems, including colitis and pneumonia. In November 2015, the Eagles had to postpone a show because Frey needed surgery for his stomach problems. Sadly, he never had the surgery due to complications from pneumonia. He died on January 18, 2016, at age 67. His death was caused by complications from rheumatoid arthritis, severe ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia. Medications for these conditions can weaken the body's ability to fight off infections like pneumonia.
Many friends, musicians, and bandmates publicly shared their sadness about Frey's death. These included Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Linda Ronstadt, and Bob Seger. At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, the remaining members of the Eagles and Jackson Browne performed "Take It Easy" to honor him. A life-sized statue of Glenn Frey was put up in Winslow, Arizona, on September 24, 2016. This honored his work on "Take It Easy," which was the Eagles' first single. The road next to his old high school in Royal Oak, Michigan, is now named after him.
Equipment
Takamine Guitars makes a special Glenn Frey signature acoustic-electric guitar. It is called the EF360GF. This guitar is made to be just like the one Frey used for his live shows and recordings. In the 1970s, Frey used Martin acoustic guitars.
Frey played many different electric guitars over the years. These included Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul, and Gibson SG. But the electric guitar most connected with him was his black Gibson Les Paul Junior. He nicknamed it Old Black.
Images for kids
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Frey performing with the Eagles in 2008
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Frey with the Eagles in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Glenn Frey para niños
