Anonymous Report This Comment Date: December 17, 2007 03:00AM
Singer Dan Fogelberg, 56, Dies of Cancer
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP
32 minutes ago
NEW YORK —
Dan Fogelberg, the singer and songwriter whose hits "Leader of the
Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne" helped define the soft-rock era,
died Sunday at his home in Maine after battling prostate cancer. He was 56.
His death was announced in a statement by Anna Loynes of the Solters &
Digney public relations agency, and it was also posted on the singer's Web
site.
"Dan left us this morning at 6:00 a.m. He fought a brave battle with cancer
and died peacefully at home in Maine with his wife Jean at his side," it
read. "His strength, dignity and grace in the face of the daunting
challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him."
Fogelberg discovered he had advanced prostate cancer in 2004. In a statement
then, he thanked fans for their support.
"It is truly overwhelming and humbling to realize how many lives my music
has touched so deeply all these years," he said.
Fogelberg's music was powerful in its simplicity. He didn't rely on the volume
of his voice to convey his emotions; instead, they came through in the soft,
tender delivery and his poignant lyrics. Songs like "Same Old Lang
Syne" _ in which a man reminisces after meeting an old girlfriend by chance
during the holidays _ became classics not only because of his performance, but
for the engaging storyline, as well.
Fogelberg's heyday was in the 1970s and early 80s, when he scored several
platinum and multiplatinum records, fueled by such hits as "The Power of
Gold" and "Leader of the Band," a touching tribute he wrote to
his father, a bandleader. Fogelberg put out his first album in 1972.
Fogelberg's songs tended to have a weighty tone, reflecting on emotional issues
in a serious way. But in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in
1997, he said it did not represent his personality.
"That came from my singles in the early '80s," he reflects. "I
think it probably really started on the radio. I'm not a dour person in the
least. I'm actually kind of a happy person. Music doesn't really reflect the
whole person.
"One of my dearest friends is Jimmy Buffett. From his music, people have
this perception that he's up all the time, and, of course, he's not. Jimmy has a
serious side, too."
Later in his career, he wrote material that focused on the state of the
environment, an issue close to his heart. His last album was 2003's "Full
Circle," his first album of original material in a decade.
A year later he would receive his cancer diagnosis, forcing him to forgo a
planned fall tour. After his diagnosis, he urged others to get tested.
Survivors include his wife, Jean.
Just saw it on comcast. This sucks,
Duane
Placelowerplace Report This Comment Date: December 17, 2007 08:34AM
oh no. I feel terrible. I liked him alot. Thank you Dan.
Anonymous Report This Comment Date: December 17, 2007 03:33PM
A lot of memories tied up in his music from being a kid in the 70's and early
80's. Kind of reminds you of your mortality.
Duane