Celebrities, fans mourn the death of the Eagles' Glenn Frey
Celebrities and fans around the world are mourning the death of founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, Glenn Frey, who has died at 67 years old.
Celebrities, musicians and fans took to social media on Monday to pay tribute and remember Frey.
Glenn Frey, founding member of the Eagles, a band I just loved, has died. His songs, those sounds, perfectly captured those days. 70s LA...
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) January 19, 2016MT: Shocker. My friend from the early days, and important member of Eagles, has died. We loved you, Glenn Frey.
— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) January 18, 2016"It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you."
We love you, #Glenn Frey.
— Rita Wilson (@RitaWilson) January 18, 2016Many also shared photos of Frey, expressing their shock to hear the news of his death.
Glenn Frey. I'm shocked. A brilliant songwriter and a really good guy. Talented, funny, cynical and sweet. - Huey pic.twitter.com/fgFVlZOEnX
— Huey Lewis (@Huey_Lewis_News) January 18, 2016I was thrilled to meet this Eagle, Glenn Frey at the RRHOF in '14. I'm really shocked with the news of his passing. pic.twitter.com/L8lNB8kU3y
— Bruce Kulick (@brucekulick) January 18, 2016SHOCKED to report the death of GLENN FREY. Eagle & brilliant songwriter. We shared some memories at RRHOF. Shocked.. pic.twitter.com/0uVYgaKVIT
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) January 18, 2016And now Glenn Frey???? This is a joke, right? We're all getting punk'd, right? *Sigh* #RIP #Eagles 🎸😢
— Elaine Hendrix (@elaine4animals) January 18, 2016Fellow musicians also used social media to thank Frey for his contribution.
A photo from the day I first met Glenn Frey and got to be an "Eagle" for a day. -1993 pic.twitter.com/gur4seY9qH
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) January 18, 2016So saddened and shocked by the loss of Glenn Frey. Thank you for the music that paved the way for so many others.
— Brad Paisley (@BradPaisley) January 18, 2016Glenn Frey, you will be sorely missed. Thank you for all you gave us.
— Sheryl Crow (@SherylCrow) January 18, 2016And even some politicians chimed in on Twitter too.
Take It Easy, Glenn Frey, it's your turn for that Peaceful Easy Feeling. For the rest of us it's gonna be a Heartache Tonight
#TheEagles
— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 19, 2016On Monday, Frey's family released a statement on his website, confirming his death.
"Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to 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. 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."
Frey was lead vocalist on the Eagles' breakthrough hit, "Take It Easy," a song mostly written by Jackson Browne that came out in 1972. His other showcases included "Peaceful Easy Feeling," ''Already Gone" and "New Kid in Town."
Bandmate Don Henley said, "He was like a brother to me ... We were two young men who made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles with the same dream: to make our mark in the music industry -- and 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."
Frey underwent surgery in November. The Eagles were supposed to play at the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 6, but canceled because of Frey's declining health. At the time, the band released a statement saying Frey "has had a recurrence of previous intestinal issues, which will require major surgery and a lengthy recovery period."
Frey co-founded the Eagles with Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit in 1971, releasing their first studio album, "Eagles," in 1972.