I was a big fan of the Eagles before there were many millions of big fans of the Eagles.
Despite the fact we were living in the suburbs of Seattle, me and several of my friends listened more to “country-rock” than any other kind of music back in the 1970s. The Eagles were our band of choice during their early years, with the five original members.
So the other day when I heard Eagles’ founder Glenn Frey had died, it instantly made me reflective. I always liked the beautifully precise voices possessed by drummer Don Henley and bass player Randy Meisner voice, I could never get enough of the guitar playing of Don Felder and Bernie Leadon, but it was Frey who seemed to make the whole thing go.
Upon learning of Frey’s passing, Henley said, “he was the spark plug, the man with the plan.”
That nonchalant, almost lazy tone with which Frey sang in classics like “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Tequila Sunrise” uniquely sets a mood and creates and atmosphere like no other I can compare. His unique approach to songwriting surely garnered plenty of attention, but at the same time I feel like it’s so much in its own league that it’s also somewhat unappreciated.
“He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn’t quit,” Henley said. “He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven.”
That’s quite a combination, but it sounds pretty accurate. I don’t know if Frey knew God, but I do know that all things are from the Lord, and He instilled Frey with a big-time gift and calling.
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29, KJV).
I’ll never forget seeing the original five Eagles do a show in Seattle’s cozy Paramount Theater in about 1975, before they sold out big stadiums and still played 4,000-seat venues. Frey were so personable and engaging to the audience – it was obvious he was enjoying the heck out of being there and genuinely appreciated knowing the feeling was mutual among the crowd in front of him.
I enjoy having the subject of the Eagles come up every now and then, and sometimes I’ll put on a non-top 40 track from “Desperado” or “On the Border” (two highly sophisticated albums with nary a weak song to be found), and hear someone exclaim, “wow, that’s the Eagles?”
Upon hearing On the Border a few years ago, my oldest daughter and said, “it must have been great when popular music was like this.”
Indeed.
Even when the band transformed and became even bigger after the exit of Leadon and Meisner and the addition of Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh, the refreshing sound of Frey’s unique approach shined through in songs like “New Kid in Town.” After the transformation, I continued to be a big Eagles’ fan, but looking back that was probably solely due to Frey’s continued influence.
Frey once said, “People don’t run out of dreams — people just run out of time.”
He was only 67, but I don’t feel led to say, “he died too young,” because I know he lived exactly the number of days God laid out for him.
As is documented in Psalms 139, King David wrote, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (NIV)
For many people, music plays a big part in creating memories. Glenn Frey’s time
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.