Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist widely known for his 1970s and 1980s soft rock hits, including " Longer" (1979), " Same Old Lang Syne" (1981), and " Leader of the Band" (1982).

Early life and family

Dan Fogelberg was born in

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

. He was the youngest of three sons born to Margaret (née Irvine), (1920–2015), a classically trained pianist, and Lawrence Peter Fogelberg, (1911–1982), a band director at Woodruff High School in Peoria, at Pekin Community High School in

Pekin, Illinois Pekin ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tazewell County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located on the Illinois River, Pekin is the largest city of Tazewell County and the second most populous municipality of the Peoria metropolitan area ...

, and at Bradley University in Peoria. Fogelberg's mother was a Scottish immigrant and his father was of Swedish descent. Fogelberg often related his story of his father having allowed him to "conduct" the Bradley University school band at age 14. In 1981, Fogelberg released the song " Leader of the Band", which was written for and inspired by his father. Using a Mel Bay course book, Fogelberg taught himself to play a Hawaiian

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

that his grandfather had given him. He also learned to play the piano. At age 14, he joined a band, The Clan, which covered

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. His second band was another

cover band A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. N ...

, The Coachmen, who, in 1967, released a single with both tracks written by Fogelberg, recorded at Golden Voice Recording studio in South Pekin, Illinois, and released on the Ledger Record label: "Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget" and "Don't Want to Lose Her". After graduating from Woodruff High School in 1969, Fogelberg studied theater arts and painting at the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

. He began performing as a solo acoustic player at a local coffeehouse, "The Red Herring", which is where he made his first solo recordings as part of a folk festival in 1971. He was discovered by

Irving Azoff Irving Azoff (; born December 12, 1947) is an American businessman, who is chairman of Full Stop Management, a company that represents recording artists. During the course of his career, he has worked as an agent, personal manager, concert pr ...

, who started his music management career promoting another Champaign-Urbana act,

REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon), or simply REO, was an American Rock music, rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial suc ...

. Azoff sent Fogelberg to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, to hone his skills. There he became a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

and recorded his first album with producer Norbert Putnam. In 1972, Fogelberg released his debut album '' Home Free'' to a lukewarm response, although it eventually reached platinum status. He performed as an opening act for

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

in the early 1970s.

Career

WZZQ, a radio station in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

, gave '' Home Free'' a lot of airplay and some local promoters secured the City Auditorium in Jackson for a concert. They sold out the show in ten days and when they called Fogelberg's agent to let him know the show sold out, he was in disbelief because Fogelberg had been playing in clubs with less than 100 people in attendance, whereas the City Auditorium had 2,500 seats. On February 22, 1974, this show was broadcast and recorded by WZZQ and can be found on YouTube. Fogelberg's second effort was successful – the 1974

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles (band), Eagles, his five-decade career includes solo work and stints in other ...

-produced album '' Souvenirs''. The song "Part of the Plan" became his first hit. Fogelberg also received contributions from the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

throughout the album. He had toured with the Eagles during this time. After ''Souvenirs'', he released a string of

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

and platinum albums, including '' Captured Angel'' (1975) and ''

Nether Lands ''Nether Lands'' is the fourth album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1977. The album title is a play on Nederland, Colorado, the location of one of the studios used to record the album. Track listing All songs written ...

'' (1977). His 1978 '' Twin Sons of Different Mothers'' was the first of two collaborations with

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

flutist Tim Weisberg, which found commercial success with songs such as "The Power of Gold". '' Phoenix'', from 1979, reached the top 10, with " Longer" becoming a #2 pop hit in 1980 and peaking at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart – his sole entry on that chart. This LP eventually sold two million copies. It was followed by a Top 20 hit "Heart Hotels". The album also reached number 42 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, likewise his only entry on that chart. In 1980, Fogelberg appeared on the soundtrack to the film ''

Urban Cowboy ''Urban Cowboy'' is a 1980 American romantic Western film directed by James Bridges. The plot concerns the love-hate relationship between Buford "Bud" Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy ( Debra Winger). The film's success was credited for spurri ...

'' with his song "Times Like These". He performed live on television for the first time. '' The Innocent Age'', released in October 1981, was Fogelberg's critical and commercial peak. The double album included four of his biggest hits: " Same Old Lang Syne", " Hard to Say", " Leader of the Band", and " Run for the Roses". He drew inspiration for ''The Innocent Age'' from

Thomas Wolfe Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist and short story writer. He is known largely for his first novel, '' Look Homeward, Angel'' (1929), and for the short fiction that appeared during the last ye ...

's novel '' Of Time and the River''. A 1982

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

contained two new songs, both of which were released as singles: "Missing You" and " Make Love Stay". In 1984, he released the album '' Windows and Walls'', containing the singles "The Language of Love" and " Believe in Me". Fogelberg released '' High Country Snows'' in 1985. Recorded in Nashville, it showcased his and some of the industry's best talent in bluegrass.

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...

, Ricky Skaggs,

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. He won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His ...

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...

, David Grisman,

Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his w ...

, and

Herb Pedersen Herbert Joseph Pedersen (born April 27, 1944, in Berkeley, California) is an American musician, guitarist, banjo player, singer-songwriter, and actor who has played a variety of musical styles over the past fifty years including country, blueg ...

contributed to the record. In a world he defined as "life in the fast lane", Fogelberg described the music as "life in the off-ramp". In late 1985, he switched gears and took to the road with a group of musician friends, including Joe Vitale, Paul Harris, Tino Gonzales, Jeff Grossberg and Rick Rosas, playing blues in small clubs throughout

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

as Frankie and the Aliens, covering songs by

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

and

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

, among others. 1987 heralded a return to rock with '' Exiles'', an album that contained "What You're Doing", a throwback to the old Stax Records sound made famous in Memphis during the 1960s. '' The Wild Places'', an album whose theme was the preservation of nature, was released in 1990 followed by a tour. His live ''Greetings From The West'' album, and full-length concert film (with interview segments) of the same name, were released in 1991. '' River of Souls'', released in 1993, was Fogelberg's last studio album for

Sony Records Sony Records was a record label founded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1963. It was not affiliated with Sony Group Corporation. Ike Turner produced singles by members of the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes on Sony Records. Records on the la ...

. In 1997, the box set ''Portrait'' encompassed his career with four discs, each highlighting a different facet of his music. In 1999, he released a Christmas album, ''The First Christmas Morning'', and in 2003, ''Full Circle'' showcased a return to the folk-influenced 1970s

soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...

style of music. In May 2017, a live album of Fogelberg's performance at Carnegie Hall, championed by his wife, sourced from a 1979 tape made by his touring sound company, was released. It peaked at No. 71 on the ''Billboard'' album chart on June 10, 2017, becoming the first of Fogelberg's live albums to chart on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 chart.

Personal life

Fogelberg was married three times: to Maggie Slaymaker from 1982 to 1985, to Anastasia Savage from 1991 to 1996 and to musician Jean Marie Mayer from 2002 until he died in 2007. From the early 1980s until his cancer diagnosis, Fogelberg lived near

Pagosa Springs, Colorado Pagosa Springs (Ute dialect, Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the o ...

, on a working

ranch A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...

, which housed a recording studio that he built. He also owned a home in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

on Deer Isle, overlooking Eggemoggin Reach.

Cancer diagnosis and death

In May 2004, Fogelberg was diagnosed with advanced

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

. After undergoing therapy, his cancer went into partial remission. In August 2005, Fogelberg announced the success of his cancer treatments. However, his cancer returned and on December 16, 2007, Fogelberg died at home in Deer Isle, Maine, at the age of 56. Fogelberg was cremated and his ashes were scattered on Eggemoggin Reach (from his song, "The Reach") off the coast of Maine. In 2009, Fogelberg's widow, Jean Fogelberg, produced ''Love in Time'', a collection of 11 previously unpublished songs that Fogelberg had asked her to release after his death. ''Love in Time'' became the first Dan Fogelberg album to chart since '' River of Souls'' in 1993, reaching number 117 on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 on October 10, 2009.

Legacy

In tribute to Dan and his father Lawrence Fogelberg, Peoria renamed Abington Street in the city's East Bluff neighborhood "Fogelberg Parkway". The street runs along the northeast side of Woodruff High School, Fogelberg's alma mater and where his father was a teacher and bandleader. Fogelberg Parkway continues to the intersection of N. Prospect and E. Frye, the location of the convenience store where Fogelberg ran into his high school sweetheart one Christmas Eve – as described in the song " Same Old Lang Syne". A group of Fogelberg fans created a memorial garden in Riverfront Park in 2010. In 2017, ten years after the singer's death, Jean Fogelberg released ''Dan Fogelberg - Live at Carnegie Hall'' which immediately became a fan favorite. That same year, she released a CD tribute to Dan's work, ''A Tribute to Dan Fogelberg'', with performances by his old friend and producer

with

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...

Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American country singer. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy", which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Songs ...

Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "Honorific ...

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...

, Michael McDonald,

Randy Owen Randy Yeuell Owen (born December 13, 1949) is an American country musician. He is best known for his role as the lead singer of Alabama, a country rock band that saw commercial success throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Alabama became the most su ...

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...

, Dobie Gray, the Zac Brown Band, and other artists. Seven years in the making, the tribute CD was co-produced by Jean, with major assistance from Dan Fogelberg's friend, producer and arranger Norbert Putnam; Fogelberg's longtime friend and manager,

; and Denver music promoter Chuck Morris. In conjunction with the tribute CD, Fogelberg was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame at its "Rocky Mountain Way" induction concert at Fiddler's Green Amphitheater on Fogelberg's birthday, August 13, 2017. ''Part of the Plan'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

using the music of Fogelberg. Starring Harley Jay and Kate Morgan Chadwick, it opened on September 8, 2017, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) in Nashville. Written by Kate Atkinson & Karen Harris of K-Squared Entertainment, the new musical played nineteen performances in TPAC's James K. Polk Theatre in September 2017 and swept the 2017 Broadway World Regional Awards with 15 wins including BEST NEW WORK and BEST MUSICAL.

My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Kos ...

frontman Jim James has cited Fogelberg as a musical favorite and an influence, with "Leader of the Band" being the first single he ever bought. James' home studio features a Trident Series 80 recording console that formerly belonged to Fogelberg. Garth Brooks has stated that Fogelberg influenced his music. "There are songs that people say are the soundtrack of your life... In college, I would take out my Dan Fogelberg records and would read a passage (of lyrics) from Fogelberg's work and go about my day. That was an artist who changed my life, who made me change where I wanted to go and the music I wanted to play and thus, led me here."

Discography

Albums

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fogelberg, Dan 1951 births 2007 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singer-songwriters American acoustic guitarists American country guitarists American country pianists American country singer-songwriters American folk singers American male guitarists American male pianists American male pop singers American male singer-songwriters American multi-instrumentalists American organists American people of Scottish descent American people of Swedish descent American pop guitarists American pop pianists American rock guitarists American rock pianists American rock singers American rock songwriters American soft rock musicians American tenors Deaths from cancer in Maine Deaths from prostate cancer in the United States Epic Records artists Guitarists from Illinois Musicians from Peoria, Illinois People from Deer Isle, Maine Progressive country musicians Singer-songwriters from Illinois University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts alumni Writers from Peoria, Illinois