Four years ago today Dan Fogelberg left this earth. I still have a hard time accepting it. Too many of my memories are tied to him; too much of my past is bound up in his songs. So today will be spent listening to his music, singing along to songs that are seamlessly woven into my life, and being grateful for the power of music and the gifts songwriters give us.
Below is an audio version of the tribute I wrote for him. I remember being at the office working late on the night of Dec. 16 when I heard the news. I held off on closing the issue we were working on until I could get this written, so I stayed home the next morning and these were the words that somehow presented themselves to me.
We miss you, Dan.
SPACE
What a sad day this was when he passed away.
He had the voice of an angel and now he is in heaven singing for the Lord. I have played music most all my life and I recall the first time I heard that voice off the Homefree Albums then,
Hickory Grove was playing and at the end of the song I did not want all the harmony to end. Wisteria was another haunting melody he did that amazed me,Illinois was one of my favorite songs by him.He is a man that would have achieved a greater statute like Don Henley is given more time.he did not get the air play like The Eagles or Jackson Browne that was sad and confusing.by anyway we I shall miss you Dan.
Hello Lydia
I too miss my favorite artist My children love his music too as I pull out disc while riding in the car. I was blessed to see him once several years ago at University of Maryland . Dan was with Tim Weisburg playing many of his hits unplugged versions . I found something about him I never new is that he had a great since of humor he had myself and my wife laughing so hard in between sons . I will never forget this man and what he accomplished in his life . That is why I ended up with a web search today
God Bless you Dan and your wife
What do I think of when I hear the name “Dan Fogelberg”? I think of a young man of 56-years taken away from us so young from cancer. A man, a singer, a talented artist that spoke to your heart with his voice and with the words from his music.
He has been gone for awhile now, still think of him especially when I hear his music, my favorite? It has to be either Longer, Same Old Lang Syne or Run For the Roses, hell all of them.
We think of you, his wife, Jean we love you as we loved him, I miss his music and have the songs on my Ipod.
Very few artists touched my soul as Dan did. He simply had a way to reach into your chest, massage your heart and change it for the better. His amazing lyrics were so cleverly written. often times more question than statement, IE “Are the spoils worth the cost of the hunt”?
Dan sang from the heart which is a lesson lost on so many new artists. Dan never got the credit he deserved from mainstream music critics. Dan was an amazing songwriter, a VERY accomplished guitarist and an absolute perfectionist in the studio. Listen to any Dan Fogelberg song and pay attention to the vocal harmonies. Anyone that’s tried to sing harmonies that tight know how hard it is. Dan’s heartfelt songs will be around long after those mainstream music critics are forgotten about. As a singer/songwriter myself, the mark of a great song to me is if you can reduce it to it’s basic components and perform it with just a guitar or piano and still get the emotional message across to the audience. Dan Fogelberg songs have that in spades. Much of today’s music is mindless drivel, designed more for the visual than the audio. Dan wrote songs that made you think. I miss you Dan.
Thank you, Lydia.
Our eyes met once – in Charlotte N.C. outside a performance arena. He was in a limo, I was yelling, ‘Thank you – thank you’… as I frantically knocked on his limo window. He saw me for a moment though. Yep, it was just about like that – but our eyes met once … and that is enough.
“There is an Eden and heavenly gates,
and we’re gonna make it there one day.
Yet most of the answers we seek can be found,
in dreams that we dream along the way.”
I felt such a connection to Lydia’s message !
I learned to harmonize and discovered my passion
For guitar from listening to Dan. I also looked for
His look a like in boyfriend lol! I loved him so much
He was our gift from God!
Dan i came to listen to your music at very late stage in my life if i remeber well then it is about 3 years before you died but damn your music has made a positive impact in my life. I somewhat fell out of love with my wife but ever since i’ve listened to some of the lyrics to your music i realised that life and love has deeper meaning and to you Dan i say thank you for giving me the break to embrace what is important in my life.