Kurt Johnson / Tahoe Onstage
Glenn Frey of the Eagles has died at the age of 67.
A statement released today on the band’s website, Eagles.com, reads, “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 Eagles last played at Lake Tahoe in 2014 when it performed on consecutive nights, Aug. 29-30, before more than 7,000 fans at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys.
Tahoe Onstage photographer Kurt Johnson captured images at the Aug. 29 show. Fans were banned from taking cellphone images.
“In typical Eagles fashion, the music was impeccably precise if not a little subdued,” Johnson said.
In 1977, Frey, Don Henley and Don Felder wrote arguably the band’s greatest hit, “Hotel California.” Frey and Henley also cowrote “Desperado.”
Frey wrote and sang vocals on many of the Eagles’ hits, such at “Take it Easy,” “Heartache Tonight,” “Lyin’ Eyes” (see video below) and “Tequila Sunrise.”
The Eagles won six Grammies and five American Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Frey had a successful solo career after the Eagles broke up in 1980. In 1982, his debut solo album, “No Fun Aloud,” included the hits “Smugglers Blues” and “You Belong to the City,” which both were featured in the TV show “Miami Vice.”
