Glenn Frey, a founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, has died The Fazzler has learned. We’re told the cause of death was a combination of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia.
“The Frey family would like to thank everyone who joined Glenn to fight this fight and hoped and prayed for his recovery,” a statement read. “Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide.”
Glenn co-wrote and sang on most of the Eagles hits, including “Take It Easy,” “Tequila Sunrise,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” and “Heartache Tonight,” to name a few. He also co-wrote “Hotel California” and “Desperado” with Don Henley and took home 6 Grammys with the band.
Frey founded the California band with Don Henley in 1971, though the Eagles took a hiatus from 1980 to 1994. “He was like a brother to me; we were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction,” Henley said in a statement to EW after Frey’s death. “But, the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved.” Henley called him a “spark plug, the man with the plan.”
As a solo artist, Frey was known for tracks like “The Heat Is On,” which hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 and appeared in Beverly Hills Cop, and “You Belong To The City.” He released his last solo album, After Hours, in 2012.
