Glenn Frey, founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, passed away Monday in New York City at the age of 67.
The Eagles revealed the news through their official website, saying:
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of husband, best friend, father, comrade, and 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 Frey family would like to thank everyone who joined Glenn to fight this fight and hoped and prayed for his recovery.
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.
The website then lists the lyrics to the Eagles’ song “It’s Your World Now,” which was co-written by Frey, from their 2007 album Long Road Out of Eden.
In addition to being a guitarist of the group, Frey sang lead vocals on a few of the Eagles’ songs, including “Take It Easy” and “Tequila Sunrise.” He also co-wrote some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, including “Hotel California” and “Desperado.” With the band, he was awarded six Grammys.
Frey also embarked on a solo career after the Eagles broke up in 1980. His solo hits include “The One You Love”, “Smuggler’s Blues”, “Sexy Girl”, and “The Heat Is On.”
The Eagles, who reunited back in 1994, were originally supposed to be honored at the Kennedy Center last month, but they had to cancel their appearance due to Frey’s declining health.
Eagles drummer Don Henley released a statement:
He was like a brother to me … 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. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn’t quit.
