Dan Fogelberg

It was the summer of 1975 and I, along with some friends (who are now readers of this blog), had tickets to a Dan Fogelberg/Eagles concert at Red Rocks. My two favorite artists on the same bill, at the best place on the planet to hear live music, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect concert!

Unfortunately, when my friends and I arrived at Red Rocks, we discovered that Dan Fogelberg had tonsillitis or strep throat and would not be performing that night. Instead, Tom Waits would open. This was disappointing since most of us were not familiar with Waits’ music, and he often sounded as though he had a sore throat…

A few years later, after I had met, fallen in love with, and married a beautiful young woman, another opportunity to see Dan Fogelberg at Red rocks came along. We eagerly headed to Red Rocks, and he performed that evening. It was a magical night, despite the driving rainstorm that blew through early in the first set.

As I think back upon things now (and I know this is somewhat of a cliché) Dan Fogelberg’s music was a backdrop to my younger years…

The rollicking songs,

Love when you can

Cry when you have to

Be who you must

That's a part of the plan

Await your arrival with simple survival

And one day we'll all understand

One day we'll all understand

(Part of the Plan 1974)

The poetic lyrics,

Once in a vision I came on some woods

And stood at a fork in the road

My choices were clear yet I froze with the fear

Of not knowing which way to go

Oh, one road was simple acceptance of life

The other road offered sweet peace

When I made my decision

My vision became my release

(Nether Lands 1977)

And the beautiful melodies…

Listen to “Same Old Lang Syne” from the 1981 album “The Innocent Age,” and then listen to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” (at about 4 minutes in). You will notice some remarkable similarities in the melodies of these two songs. Dan Fogelberg did as well, and thanks a “P.I. Tchaikovsky” for his inspiration on the liner notes of “The Innocent Age.”

Dan Fogelberg composed and recorded some of his best music while living near Boulder in the 70’s and 80’s, and I bought most of those albums. Still have ‘em too. His music deeply touched me and that beautiful young woman I married, and it still does, even today.

Dan Fogelberg is the first of my generations’ music icons to leave us.

He died this past Sunday. He was 56…