Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey, the multi-talented mastermind behind the Eagles and gifted solo artist in his own right, came into the world on November 6, 1948 in the Motor City - Detroit, Michigan. Growing up in Royal Oak, Michigan kept Glenn on his toes. As he states, “I grew up running in Detroit! I went to school with the sons and daughters of automobile factory workers [who] would beat on me!” However, they didn’t beat up on him for long. Glenn got involved in sports, including a stint on the wrestling team, and held his own. He wasn’t just a jock, though; his sharp mind landed him in a class for the gifted early on in school. Outgoing, energetic, and handsome, he was popular with the guys and had a way with the girls. Overall, he considers his early days “pretty normal”: “My father was a machinist,” he recounts. “My parents weren’t drinkers. I always had clothes. I always went to camp for a week in the summer.”
Yet Glenn’s interests did not lay on a “pretty normal” path. Detroit was a happenin’ place musically in the mid-60s, and Glenn was getting in on the action. He’d taken piano lessons – the bane of a boy’s existence, but it worked out for Glenn! – and was teaching himself how to play the guitar, inspired in part by a Beatles concert to aim for the top of the rock heap. Like a lot of young guys, he started up a band while in high school (in his case, Dondero High School). His very first band was called the Disciples. Glenn has said it was just “three guys with acoustic guitars” and didn’t last long. Next he formed the Hideouts, named after a local club (they later changed their name to The Subterraneans.) When Glenn decided to move the band away from the British covers they had been doing to a more Who-like sound, he made some personnel changes, and the result wasThe Mushrooms. It was this band which was the most successful around Detroit. They cut a single entitled “Such a Lovely Child” in 1966 with the B-side “Burned.” He wasn’t even old enough to legally drink, but he already had something on vinyl thanks to the local club’s label. In addition, the group appeared on a television show called Swinging Time. Rock musician Bob Seger, who produced and co-wrote the band’s single, was able to spot Glenn’s talent early on. In 1968, Glenn sung backup as well as added guitar to Seger’s album Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man.
A girlfriend of Glenn’s had preceded him to L.A., and when he showed up in the city of angels, he had a nice warm bed waiting for him. His girlfriend’s sister happened to be dating John David Souther, and the two became fast friends. Soon they formed Longbranch Pennywhistle. They released a self-titled albumtogether in 1969, which did not meet with much success (to put it mildly), but would be the beginning of a songwriting partnership that would be highly productive and successful in the coming years. Glenn also met Jackson Browne at this time, another man who would turn out to be a collaborator and friend. He and J.D. rented a house in Echo Park with Jackson (where Glenn would overhear the beginnings of Take It Easy). The guys started hanging out at the Troubadour, a club that was the favorite of a lot of up-and-coming rockers (and a lot of down-and-out wannabes, too). One of the more successful patrons, Linda Ronstadt, took a liking to Glenn and invited him to be a part of her touring band in 1971.
The late 80s and early 90s saw some major life changes for Glenn. One of these was Glenn’s new dedication to fitness. In 1986, Glenn was struck down with diverticulitis to such a degree that he had to be hospitalized. It scared the crap out of him, literally. He decided to clean up his act - he swore off drugs and started working out. (Unfortunately, his intestinal problems recurred and he was forced to undergo his first surgery in 1989). The drastic change showed and when it came time to promoteSoul Searchin’, he had a firm body and muscle definition to boot. Due to this and his song Livin’ Right, he was even approached by a gym to do ads.
Livin’ Right also garnered him something far more valuable, though. While filming the video, he met a dancer named Cindy. After a two-year courtship, they married in 1990 and had their first child, a daughter, in 1991. Within a couple of years they had a son as well. About ten years later, Glenn became a daddy a third time with a second son. His new family gave Glenn a new outlook on life.
It wasn’t until 1994 that Glenn finally agreed to “resume” the Eagles with Hell Freezes Over. His change of heart occurred after he had a positive experience with the band when they got together to appear in Travis Tritt’s video for his cover of Take It Easy. As the group jammed together, joking around and having a good time, Glenn realized that the rewards from a reunion could be more than monetary. Maybe it could actually be FUN. As a result, he gave the project the green light. Glenn never imagined what a commercial phenomenon Hell Freezes Over would become, however. The massive success of that album, TV special, video, and tour showed everyone that the Eagles still held incredible appeal and hadn’t lost their edge over the 14 year “break.” In fact, they sounded better than ever, more sober and focused than they were in the seventies. While the tour had to be stopped temporarily due to Glenn being afflicted once again bydiverticulitis and having to get part of his intestine removed, he got back in the game like a trooper as soon as he recuperated and finished the job.
After that tour ended in 1996, Glenn put his solo work on the backburner for a while even though there were no immediate plans to continue with the Eagles. He didn’t disappear, though. He did a bit more acting, appearing as Arizona Cardinal owner Dennis Wilburn in Jerry Maguire later that year and on Nash Bridges in 1997. In 1998, he became involved in the business end of the music scene. With Peter Lopez, an attorney, he formed the record company Mission Records. He participated in benefits such as Tiger Woods’ charity concert “Tiger Jam” in 1998 with the Eagles, and then as a solo act for the next two years. The late 90s also saw the Eagles get inducted into the Hall of Fame (1998) and be named the Artists of the Century by the Recording Association of America (1999). Their album Greatest Hits: 1971-1975 was documented as being the best-selling album in music history. Not too shabby.
The Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame induction was a rewarding experience that featured the first and only time all seven current and former members of the Eagles played onstage together. Those landmark performances of Take It Easy and Hotel California were not to be the last that was heard from the Eagles, though. A little over a year later, Glenn once again joined the then-current Eagles (Don Felder, Joe Walsh, Timothy Schmit, and Don Henley) onstage for concerts to celebrate the millennium in Los Angeles.
As that foursome, the Eagles continued to tour all over the world as part of a “Millennium Tour” in 2000-2001. Then, after a couple of years off, they began the “Farewell I” tour in 2003, which also produced a DVD. That tour morphed into the “California tour” of 2005 where they amazingly continued to sell out show after show in the golden state area, able to rake in the money without traveling further than Las Vegas (besides a brief jaunt to Hawaii for a few concerts and some fun in the sun, no doubt). For a time, it seemed that might be the end, as Glenn spoke of the appropriateness of finishing out in California where they started.
However, Eagles fans the world over were relieved to hear that the final curtain has not yet fallen on their favorite band. After a short break in early 2006, the Eagles began touring Europe in May. Glenn also did several solo shows in July 2006. In November 2006, Eagles fans were treated to two new songs as part of a promotional deal with Walmart. Throughout the rest of that year and into 2007, they continued working on completing their first new studio album in over 25 years.
But it’s not all work and no play. When not working, Glenn gets to spend more time with the family. In his words, “My first commitment is to them.” He’s also had a lot of opportunities to indulge his fondness for golf, a game at which he excels. He has golfed in several celebrity and pro-am tournaments, and possesses one of the coveted spots in the renowned Pebble Beach tournament. He has also participated in benefit tournaments to raise money for causes such as leukemia research and treatment, as well as the prevention and treatment of child abuse. Other charitable interests include the Aspen Youth Experience, which gives inner-city youths a chance to get out in the mountains, and the Children’s Christian Fund.
It’s finally happened - new music from Glenn! The Eagles’ latest album, Long Road Out of Eden, is currently available for purchase at Walmart and off of their official site. Check it out!
Visit the official Glenn Frey website
*MySands customers may utilize their comp dollars towards the purchase of tickets at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center. These customers must visit the Box Office (located in Shoppes @ the Sands).