Last week when David Bowie died, it was sad. Like the end of an era sad.
I had a sense of sadness that had to do as much with time passing and an acknowledgment of my own aging as it had to do with his death.
Then Glenn Frey died. His style of country rock was the stuff I was raised on. The stuff I boogied to (and other stuff that will remain edited out of this post).
To say I was a big fan would be putting it mildly. I like the Eagles better than the Beatles. (I know, heresy!) I had the albums and the moves and later CDs. I knew the words to the songs. Mostly.
I was lucky enough to see them in concert. It was the “Hell Freezes Over” tour in 1994. The concert was the highlight of a year full of marital strife. It was the one thing that made me feel young that year and I’ll always be grateful to them for that.
They were to be honored at the Kennedy Center in 2015 but declined hoping to postpone it so Glenn would be able to attend. That was not to happen.
My Mom always said things come in threes so I am expecting another great rocker to die….soon.
So rockers beware!
RIP Glenn Frey
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
Kate two legends who left their mark on this world. Hopefully no more for awhile.
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The Eagles were always my favorite. Somehow their music touched me more than any other group. We tend to think these icons are immortal and it’s such a shock when they die.
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Maybe it’s because we grew up with them.
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The Eagles were BIG during college for me and they got a lot of play. I never cared much for the Beatles but I did have a bit of a crush on John Lennon. 2016 has been unsettling with all the deaths of people I respected and enjoyed. I miss Alan Rickman more that I can say. I was hoping for a better 2016 because 2015 was not the best by any stretch of the imagination.
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I always liked George Harrison. Great guitar player and not bad on the eyes either. I hope that 2016 is a lot better.
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This feeling you described, Kate, I think I have never heard it put into words better than you did it. We all age and we all die, but when our icons die—and with everyone reminding us how young they were—it has a profound impact on us. I only hope they don’t come in three’s this time.
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I’m hoping Natalie Cole was really the first musician to go making it three. As someone else mentioned I’m still struggling with Robin Williams. These people come into your life and you grow up with them. Then you die with them.
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Well lets not go too far. I think Robin’s death was a huge surprise. Natalie Cole’s also came out of the blue. I think when people die that are bigger than life—people we’ve all grown up with—its a blow because death becomes all too real. But I think your right Kate, I think a part of us dies too.
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I saw them for the first time in Shanghai, China a few years ago. I’m with you on the Beatles versus the Eagles. I liked the Eagles more and I’m not sure I can defend my point of view but they just happened to be the background music of so much of my life.
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They came to the forefront for me just when the Beatles were entering a very weird psychedelic phase that I wasn’t overly fond of.
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I can’t myself quite go as far as comparing them to the Beatles, but the beauty of music is that it’s so subjective for every listener. For you they were, and that’s all that matters! The Eagles for me represent what came after the “first wave” of that California singer-songwriter period of the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Doors, etc. Along with CSNY, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, and Linda Ronstadt, they were the soundtrack for so much of my junior high and high school years. Although I’ve gotten tired of hearing “Hotel California” because of radio playing it too much, it’s still my favorite Eagles song along with “The Sad Cafe” and Desperado.” Glenn is a fellow Detroit area boy, so he was my favorite in that group. It’s so sad to see our cultural icons passing away. Great post, Kate.
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Ahhh the Byrds! I saw Roger McGwynn perform about a year ago and he was fabulous. Renewed my interest in his work. People often think of musicians from this era as mostly stoned (and maybe they were) but they were so talented on many instruments, songwriting, etc. Jackson Browne was a great song writer. Ronstadt one of my favs. I always wanted to sing but didn’t have the pipes for it.
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Oh, God, me neither. A college girlfriend used to cringe when we’d be driving and I’d sing along with the radio. I apparently cannot even come close to the notes.
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Me neither. I almost auditioned for a rock group. A dear friend recorded me. Yikes!
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Their music was certainly more consistent than the Beatles. I loved The Eagles. Their music and lyrics are timeless. It’s a very strange feeling watching the people you grew up with pass away, especially when you can listen to their music and be young again with them. It’s all very strange.
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So true. When I play their tunes I am 20, carefree and happy!
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I listened to Hell Freezes Over for Happy Hour today. My fave ~ Learn To Be Still. But I enjoyed almost every song today.
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That’s a great tribute.
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An older friend of mine had this whole FB post last week about how unfair it was that “real rockers” like Lemmy (of Motorhead, I guess?) and David Bowie died, but that all the Eagles were still alive. You just don’t even want to see that poor man’s FB page today. He is taking a beating.
Also, a group of people are petitioning him to start talking smack about recently deceased politicians now…
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I have some politicians I’d like him to include! It doesn’t make sense to be annoyed that someone didn’t die. I guess we all grieve differently.
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Some grieve angrily, it’s true.
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The Eagles were one of my favorites too. A generation seems to be dying off and I am there with them. My mother said deaths came in threes also.
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I remember when my mother’s generation of stars were dying off. She was always sad and I didn’t get it. It’s as much about us as it is about them.
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Don’t forget Lemmy. Maybe he was Rocker #1. He’d probably say so. 😉
Thanks for this post. So much of my childhood soundtrack is set to Eagles tunes. It’s a sad day.
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Let’s hope he was rocker #1!
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Although I’m not really a believer, I’m enjoying imagining the beautiful music now being made in heaven. Natalie, David, and Glenn must be putting on quite a concert!
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The tickets are rather expensive though….
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It’s a reminder to us all that even our beloved icons are mortal, and that clock keeps ticking forward. I’m still haven’t managed to find any peace with the death of Robin Williams (and others), but you’re right … it will be any day now we’ll be hearing of the death of yet another great icon from our life … the people who helped us try to make sense of it all when things got confusing. I’ve been playing Hotel California today as I’ve been puttering around preparing for my sister’s arrival (she’s coming for a week long visit). Not sure if this is hurting my heart, or helping it heal, but in any case, the sounds are slowing soothing away my sadness. He will be missed.
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I just saw a clip of Robin Williams on the Tonight Show. I forgot how hysterical he was and so impromptu! For me first the Beach Boys and then the Eagles were the California sound.
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Last year was a year of loss for me with friends my age dropping like flies. Then to lose David, Alan, Glenn, etc…. all my age group. is pretty shocking on a different level. While the Beatles were a huge influence on music, they were never my favorite band… although I still have a soft spot for Ringo!!!
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I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to contemporaries dying.
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I read this today and was saddened too as I liked The Eagles music. The end of an era, with just so many Greats in it. No-one to touch them these days.
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Perhaps because we identify closely to the music of our youth but I don’t get as attached to singers and artists today as I did then. For me no one can touch them.
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You’re right there.
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Also feel the same about Freddie Mercury.
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I always liked Queen. About 10 years ago a British tribute band came through our city and I saw them. The lead singer looked like Freddie and had all the moves and a similar voice. It reacquainted me with their music and reminded me of how talented they were.
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Weird how we invest so much emotion into these people who we really don’t know at all, but feel like we do. They help us through difficult times, and then when they’re gone there’s a hole. If nothing else, that is what this month as taught me.
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January has always been a month of loss for me. Both parents died in January (different years) and two significant relationship ended in January. It’s always a sad month for me.
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Sorry that this month is difficult for you. I’ve heard that more people die in January because they want to live through Christmas, then don’t care anymore. Don’t know if that’s true, but it makes sense to me.
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I’ve heard that too. In fact my cousin’s mother told her she would make it through Christmas but that was it. She died January 20th. In the north it’s a cold lonely month too, without enough sunshine.
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Good point, Kate. It can be an isolating month, especially if you don’t feel well to begin with. I like the optimism in January, but there’s a harsh reality underneath.
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Another huge loss for sure. I definitely wore out (and it was possible, because I wore out at least 6 albums in my pre-teen and teen years) my vinyl of Hotel California and had to buy it again…
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I’m not surprised. I had a cassette player for my car (yeah, I’m that old) and I routinely wore out tapes. They didn’t last more than a month or two for me.
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I’m a HUGE Eagles fan, Kate. I like them more than the Beatles too. 🙂 So many great memories from their songs.My favorite was Lying Eyes. I was so sad to hear this news last night.
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We knew he was gravely ill when they declined the Kennedy honor but you never think they are THAT ill. They were my all-time favorite and I have a lot of favorites.
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Being a 1946 vintage person, it is rather disconcerting to keep hearing about my “peers” passing on! It rather makes me think although, having a questionable short term memory, I cannot remember what I am thinking. I never liked The Beatles either, but then my impressionable years were spent listening to The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Yes, and a host of English Folk musicians (Renbourne, Jansch, Denny, McTell, Giltrap et al). Sandy Denny passed on many years ago. Bert Jansch not too long ago. It is a little disconcerting, and I have so much that I still want to do! Better go! 🙂
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Ah! The Moody Blues. My husband’s favorite. I believe he has seen them in concert 19 times.
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Hubby clearly had/has good taste! 🙂
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He thinks so.
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When Natalie Cole died, I started wondering who’s next. Noooo. Not these two. The Force – the entire universe – is surely disturbed. Enough already. Music can’t take another hit.
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Hey, Maybe Natalie was the first and Glenn was the third! Now I feel a little better in a very strange way. And no, I can’t take another contemporary biting the dust.
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Fingers crossed. Ditto with that last sentence
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Yes. I just can’t put a happy face here.
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Just a few too many well-known people leaving earth since the first of the year. And they are way too young.
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I am moving into the stage where people my age kind of routinely die. I’ve lost friends but it was more sporadic. My brother (in his mid-80s) swears that they attend funerals every week.
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