Guitarist and founding member of The Eagles Glenn Frey has died at 67.
The musician and co-writer of hits like “Hotel California” and “Take It Easy” took a turn for the worst after struggling with intestinal issues.
“Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia,” a statement on the band’s website said.
Frey is a six-time Grammy winner and enjoyed solo success with songs like “The Heat Is On,” from Eddie Murphy‘s 1984 classic “Beverly Hills Cop.”
The Eagles broke up in 1980, reuniting briefly in 1994 for their successful “Hell Freezes Over” tour. The band was due to be recognized at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors alongside the likes of Carole King, but pushed the honor back a year due to Frey’s health issues.
“He was a passionate family man, a great father, a great humanitarian, and he’s gone way too soon,” Irving Azoff, the legendary music manager who worked with The Eagles for roughly 40 years, told The Wrap on Monday.
“I wouldn’t have been the success that I’ve been without Glenn Frey teaching me, leading me and supporting me for over 40 years,” Azoff said.
Eagles drummer Don Henley offered his remembrance of Frey shortly after the news was announced:
“He was like a brother to me; we were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction. But, the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved. We were two young men who made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles with the same dream: to make our mark in the music industry. 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. He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven. He loved his wife and kids more than anything. We are all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow. We brought our two-year “History of the Eagles Tour” to a triumphant close at the end of July and now he is gone. I’m not sure I believe in fate, but I know that crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet. It will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it. But, I will be grateful, every day, that he was in my life. Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some.”