A Tribute To Dan Fogelberg
A Gift For Dan
George Harrison was one of Dan’s musical heroes; he wept when he learned of George’s death in 2001. Then, in 2003, the tribute CD, Concert For George, was released. Dan watched the film and listened to the CD many times, but when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer the following year I could see it held new significance for him. Now that he was facing his own battle with cancer it was only natural that he would wonder if his friends and peers would care enough to pay tribute to him in a similar manner when he was gone.
The Love In Time CD is Dan’s last gift to his fans - in 2005 he put it aside to be released after he was gone. Live At Carnegie Hall is my gift to the fans - for years they had been asking for a live solo concert recording. But A Tribute To Dan Fogelberg is, and always was, a gift for Dan.
A Great Idea
In 2008, the year following his death, I began contacting Dan’s bandmates and friends and creating a list of musicians who wanted to participate in a concert paying tribute to him. At the same time, I was overseeing the mastering and packaging of Love In Time. The album was taking most of my time and energy, and I was becoming frustrated with the lack of progress on the tribute concert.
Then in April of 2010, Dan's old friend and producer, Norbert Putnam, got in touch with me. I told him about the problems I was encountering with the tribute concert. He said he'd had a similar idea of a tribute honoring Dan, but, what if we recorded the CD first, then followed it with a concert?
It sounded like a great idea to me, and I was only too glad to have his expertise and help. I contacted Dan's lifelong friend and mentor, Irving Azoff, and he arranged talks with Sony Legacy for us and we were off and running.
Nag Nag Nag
We put together a wish list of artists we'd like to have on the CD and began contacting their agents and managers. I was anxious to get the CD released, but Norbert cautioned me that a project like this could take a year or more to pull together. We still laugh about that, even as we reminisce about the 7 years we spent pushing the project along.
As frustrating as it sometimes was, we were thrilled to see such a diverse group of amazing artists gathering to cover a wide selection of Dan’s catalog. It was slow going, as many of them were recording in their own studios, between touring, but all we could do was wait and nag nag nag. I contacted John Kosh, who had worked closely with Dan on so many album covers, and he said he'd be delighted to design the package. Andy Katz allowed us to use one his photos of Dan for the cover, which is one of my favorite shots of Dan.
In March of 2011, Chuck Morris, president and CEO of AEG Live Rocky Mountains, came on board and started helping us attract some of the acts he knew from his many years of concert promotion. Chuck and Dan had been friends since the 70s, when Dan performed at Chuck's Ebbet’s Field venue, and he was passionate about the idea of a tribute. Chuck’s natural exuberance and excitement for the project gave us a much needed shot in the arm.
Seven Years and Seven Months
Sony eventually backed away from the project and BMG picked it up, but Sony paid for the recording of most of the tracks and donated those costs - it would be their generous contribution to the project and PCF. However, many of the artists donated their time and talent out of love and respect for Dan and didn’t charge us a dime.
It took seven years and seven months of gentle prodding and downright harassment, but we are thrilled with the result. We feel the diversity of songs underscores Dan’s love of music of all genres and his ability to immerse himself in that genre while still doing what he did best: tell a story from his heart.
On Dan's birthday, August 13th, 2017, some of the artists from the tribute album came to Fiddler's Green in Colorado to perform at a sold-out concert to induct Dan, Joe Walsh and Barnstorm, and Caribou Ranch recording studio into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. The night of the concert was a rollercoaster for me: my mother had died five days before, and I was bouncing from grief to joy. The concert raised $152,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and proceeds from the CD will go to PCF as well.
Dan always said that his songs were like his children - he gave birth to them and then sent them out into the world to make their way. It fascinated him to see which of them were successful, and which didn’t quite make it. I feel certain he would love hearing his songs being reborn and reinterpreted through the talents of the wonderful artists on this CD, and that he would be deeply touched that they participated in this tribute to him.
~ Jean Fogelberg
THE STORIES
"My first meeting with Dan Fogelberg occurred on a Friday morning. I will remember that Friday forever because the three girls who worked for me at Quadrafonic Studio had just grabbed me and shoved me into a cold shower because I had failed to treat them to a National Secretaries Day lunch, an event solemnly observed in the Nashville music industry. As they ran down the staircase, shouting expletives about my leadership abilities, up came a smiling Dan Fogelberg and Irving Azoff.
We talked briefly and, with water dripping from my sleeve, we shook hands and agreed that I would produce Dan’s first recording, which would become 'Home Free'. A few years later, Dan and I discussed that memorable Friday and he told me, 'Norbert, that day at Quad, with the secretaries cursing you, and the music vibrating through the floor of your office . . . well, I just had to be part of that scene!'
Dan became a big part of that scene, and my life for the next decade. We shared a love of all genres of music, from classical to rock, big band to broadway, country to bluegrass. Indeed, that first chord played on 'To the Morning' was influenced by Aaron Copeland’s beautiful 'Appalachian Spring', a long time favorite of ours.
Today, when people ask 'Who was the best you ever worked with?' I reply, 'Dan Fogelberg was the greatest combination of musician, writer, and singer to cross my path.' May his music live forever!"
~ Norbert Putnam
"Dan and I connected in 1976 during the Nether Lands recording sessions. We worked together for two decades and I designed at least a dozen album covers for him. It was always a great thrill to walk into the studio to hear his playbacks before we got down to designing the covers. If there was ever a problem between the marketing department and the recording artists at Epic, "Kosh the diplomat" would step in, and I did that for Dan many times.
Dan had a fine sense of humour. I remember one of our first meetings was at his Colorado home, 14,000 feet atop the Continental Divide. He handed me a welcoming beer and I, not realizing how thin the air was, chugged it down. That's all I recall until I awoke on the couch the next morning to see his grinning face looking down on me.
We were great pals and I miss him. He would be thrilled with this tribute, and to know that his Carnegie Hall concert has been released at last."
~ Kosh
"The first time I met Dan was when he played three nights at my old Denver club, Ebbets Field, in August of 1974. I had heard his record on KFML and KRNW (which became KBCO) and I was so blown away that I reached out to his manager, Irving Azoff, and his booking agent, Howard Rose, and booked the shows.
I grew up loving singer-songwriters and Dan's records absolutely floored me. The Ebbets Field shows were mind blowing, and I realized during those three nights that he was equally as brilliant as a live act as he was a singer and songwriter. It was also the first time I met Irving Azoff in person. I’ll never forget Irving telling me that Dan was in between labels, but he was going to become a platinum act and would soon be selling out arenas . After watching those shows I knew Irving was right, and sure enough, Dan’s career took off like a rocket.
Booking Dan for numerous dates, and seeing him occasionally while he lived in Boulder, I quickly became a fan of the man as much as his music. Unassuming; almost shy; fairly reclusive; these were not the traits normally usually associated with rock stars. Dan was a very kind and gentle soul that I still think of all the time.
When I was invited to help find artists for the tribute CD, I knew instinctively that it would become one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever done and, sure enough, it has. I was blessed to be part of this project and equally blessed to know Dan and his music. The other thing about those great nights at Ebbets Field was that it started a 40 year friendship with Irving that I still cherish after all these years.
Thank you Jean, Irving, and Norbert for getting me involved in this wonderful project."
~ Chuck Morris
THE SONGS
PHOENIX
“My brother Kelly introduced me to Dan’s music. From there, I introduced Dan’s music to everyone who would listen. His stuff was like no one else’s. Sure, you could hear the strains of Joe Walsh and Jackson Browne in his music, the same way you could hear Dan’s music in Walsh’s and Browne’s stuff, but 99% of Dan’s music was his own and you didn’t hear it in another artist’s voice…a true one-of-a-kind. An embarrassment of riches when it came to talent, Dan performed a ton of the instrumentation and background vocal work on his records.
It was his writing, though, that held me and continues to hold me. As a child, I was raised very non-denominational and in college I was fortunate enough to discover the Bible with a friend and fell in love with its teachings. There was the book of John, the book of Paul, etc…there also was the book of Dan. I pinned the inner sleeves of his records on my wall and each day, like picking a Bible verse, I would find a phrase that would set the mood for the day.
I got my first gig in college singing Dan’s music… ‘The Last Nail’, ‘Old Tennessee’, etc... From there, I would start to try my hand at songwriting and would attempt to follow the masters like Croce, Taylor, and of course, Fogelberg. Dan’s playing was so far over my head, but a great writer relates to all. ‘Dancing Shoes’, ‘Sweet Magnolia (And The Traveling Salesman)’, ‘The Reach’, ‘Tucson, Arizona’, just to name a few. A good thing never dies and that ‘good thing’ is Dan’s music.
As for me, my life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man. That man is Dan Fogelberg, and he will live forever in those of us who have let his gift bring so much light to our paths.”
~ Garth Brooks
“The first artist I put on my wish list was Garth Brooks. Garth has always been very vocal about his admiration for Dan and the influence his music had on Garth’s own songwriting, for which I have always been grateful. Someone got me his manager’s email address and I wrote to him on January 18th, asking if he thought Garth might consider recording a song for us?
The next day, the phone rang in the afternoon. A masculine voice asked if Jean Fogelberg was available. ‘This is she,’ I replied. ‘Miss Jean, this is Garth Brooks…’ he said something right after that but I have no idea what it was.
Garth has a way of making you feel comfortable, though, and soon we were chatting about his love of Dan's music, and the tribute CD. He said he'd be honored to contribute a song and asked which one I'd like him to record. I told him, ‘Do one of your favorites.’ He said, ‘That's around a hundred and ten songs…’ I knew the ballads would be well covered, and I knew that Garth can rock the house, so I asked him to do one of Dan's ‘rockers’ and he chose ‘Phoenix.’
When the track was mostly finished, Garth invited me to his studio in Nashville to have a listen. He and his band gave me some space and took a break in the studio while I sat with the engineer at the mixing board and he played the track for me. It came on like a freight train and then Trisha Yearwood’s vocals came on board, mixing with Garth’s in a blend as sweet as her Wild Scuppernong Pie. When it was finished I was smiling from ear to ear. I said, ‘Play it again!!’
Six years later, on Dan's birthday, Garth performed ‘Phoenix’ and ‘There’s A Place In The World For A Gambler’ at Fiddler’s Green, to close the live tribute concert and Dan’s induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.
Garth's early involvement gave us the clout we needed to get the record companies on board and draw some great artists to the project, and he stuck with us all the way to the end. I will be forever grateful to him.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
NETHER LANDS
“On June 3, 2010, I got an email from Norbert telling me that Donna Summer wanted to record ‘Nether Lands’ for the tribute. Coming of age in the 70’s, I was a huge fan, and for a long time I’d thought that one of the great divas should cover this, one of Dan’s most ambitious recordings in regards to the instrumentation, and the key! So I was beyond thrilled with Donna’s participation and her choice of song.
We determined that it would be much too costly to try to recreate the track, with its lush orchestral arrangements, so we had Sony dig up the master. Norbert was concerned about the key and asked Donna if it would be too high for her. She laughed and told Norbert that during a very difficult time in her life she’d had some tough decisions to make and she would start each day by playing ‘Nether Lands’ to inspire her. She’d been singing along with the record for years, knew it by heart, and the key was perfect for her.
Unaware that Donna was still performing, I was prepared to hear some diminished vocals now that she was in her 60’s. When Norbert sent me the track, I was blown away. If anything, her voice was richer and more powerful than ever - the track gave me goosebumps and still brings me to tears every time I play it.
With much still to give, Donna Summer died of lung cancer on May 17, 2012. I’m so grateful to her for gracing us with her incredible version of one of Dan’s most majestic songs, and to her husband, Bruce Sudano, for his assistance since her untimely death.
Five years after her passing, Donna and Bruce’s daughter Amanda Sudano and her husband Abner Ramirez performed ‘Nether Lands’ at the tribute concert as the duo ‘Johnnyswim.’ Amanda and Abner thrilled the audience with their duet rendition of the song, and their powerful and amazing voices. Donna would have been proud.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
BETTER CHANGE
“I first heard some of Dan’s music from Irving Azoff, while visiting him in early 70's. He played me some demos of songs written by a young kid from Peoria, Illinois; a part of the country we were both from. I was immediately transported to a musical place that I would look forward to returning to time and again over the years with each new release of a Dan Fogelberg album. I’m so proud to be a part of this project.”
~ Michael McDonald
“We asked each artist to pick their favorite Dan song and to record it in their own way. Norbert called and told me that Michael McDonald had chosen to record ‘Better Change.’ There followed a moment of silence after which we both shamefully admitted that neither of us was familiar with the song. We had to go through our albums to find it and give it a listen and then we called each other back. Not a hit, definitely one of his lesser known songs, but who was going to complain? Not me.
Norbert hired his favorite studio musicians and Michael brought some friends with him to Quad Studios in Nashville. They performed the song with a gospel feel and a bit of soul, and Norbert caught it all on tape. I’d say ‘Amen!’”
~ Jean Fogelberg
LONGER
“I always loved Dan's music and getting the opportunity to sing on the ‘High Country Snows’ record, over 30 years ago, is still a great memory for me.”
~ Vince Gill
“From the time I was a young music lover I was drawn to singer/songwriters. Dan Fogelberg came on the scene with a unique combination of whimsey and melancholy in his lyrical poetry. From Souvenirs forward I have been a fan. Back in the early 80s, a college friend and I did a fairly average version of “Longer” for a friend’s wedding. So glad to have the chance, all these years later, for a redo with my extraordinarily gifted husband. What an honor to be a part of this record.”
~ Amy Grant
“Norbert practically stalked Vince Gill. Every time he saw him at a Nashville event, he’d approach him, ‘So Vince, when are we going to record your track for the Dan Fogelberg tribute project?’ Each time, Vince would say he was willing, he just needed to find the time in between tours. Then, in August of 2013, someone suggested we ask if he and his wife, Amy Grant, would be willing do a song together. I was a big fan of hers and I really wanted another woman on the CD, so I voted YES. Amy was enthusiastic and by the end of October they had recorded ‘Longer’ together with Chris Botti on trumpet.
At the tribute concert it was apparent that 'Longer' was an appropriate song for them.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
SAME OLD LANG SYNE
“At the beginning of the project my intent was to bring in artists of Dan’s generation; friends and peers who had known him, worked with him, and admired him. But everyone else felt it was important to include younger acts who had been influenced by Dan’s music, and they were absolutely right.
“Dan was one of the writers that influenced what I try to do, connect to people emotionally. He did it in a way that seemed effortless. Not many people get that gift. Dan did. Here's to a great influence on music and an inspiration to the future.”
~ Pat Monahan
Train was originally going to do ‘Leader of the Band’, but then chose ‘Same Old Lang Syne’, one of Dan’s best known classics, always given airplay around the Christmas holidays. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but when I heard the rough mix I danced around the room. I played it over and over. I loved it that, while remaining true to Dan’s melody and lyrics, they had managed to completely reinterpret it with their own signature style.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
DON’T LOSE HEART
“Norbert had known Dobie Gray for many years and his name came up on our early lists. I was a fan, and ‘Drift Away’ has always been a part of my music collections. Coincidentally (or not), a few months after Dobie’s name came up I received an email from Susan Henson, wife of Denny Henson of Fool’s Gold (Dan’s early backup band) and mother of Josh Henson, a Nashville musician and producer. Josh was producing a new CD with Dobie and when Dobie heard about the tribute CD he asked Josh to see if we’d be interested in having him contribute a song? Would we!!
I learned that Dobie and Dan had hung out together when both were recording at Quadrophonic Studios in Nashville about the time Dobie was recording ‘Drift Away’. He remembered Dan as a great guy and he had a lot of respect for him as a person and an artist. In his email to me of July 20th, 2011,he said:
‘Dear Jean,
We've never met but we do share one thing in common: Dan's music. I was and still am one of his greatest admirers, and am deeply honored to be invited onto the project.’
He wanted some suggestions for songs we might want him to record. I sent three suggestions and first on the list was ‘Don’t Lose Heart’, a song Dan had recorded when we were first dating, for inclusion on ‘Portrait’, the box set. Dobie hadn’t heard it before so I emailed it to him as an MP3. He LOVED it.
I had no idea that Dobie was battling cancer at the time, he was being very quiet about it. When I found out later, it made perfect sense that Dan’s song of hope, comfort, and shelter would touch Dobie deeply. He sent a few emails to Josh, one said: ‘The more I listen to "DLH", the more I love it. It literally brings tears to my eyes.’
Right after Dobie confirmed that he would record ‘Don’t Lose Heart’, Richie Furay’s agent contacted me to say that he really wanted to record it, and would Dobie be willing to choose a different song? There was a lot of switching of songs going on, so we considered it but when we asked Dobie, he said he really wanted to stick with ‘Don’t Lose Heart’.
Out of respect for Dobie’s privacy I couldn’t tell anyone about his battle with cancer. I could only tell Richie that I felt strongly that Dobie was the one who should record ‘Don’t Lose Heart.’ He went on to record ‘Run For The Roses’ with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for us and he also recorded a beautiful version of ‘Don’t Lose Heart’ on his next album, ‘Hand in Hand’. In August he performed both songs at the tribute concert.
Dobie and Josh spent many hours in the studio working to get the vocals right; Dobie was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy that left him exhausted and sick, and his throat ravaged. He did it, though, you hear the track and know right away that rich, throaty voice is unmistakably Dobie Gray.
Dan told me more than once that he would like to re-record ‘Don’t Lose Heart’ one day, this time with more of a gospel feel. Without knowing it, Dobie and Josh accomplished that for Dan.
In early October Dobie had surgery to remove some of the cancer. Once inside, however, the doctors discovered that it had spread and was inoperable. Dobie never fully recovered after the surgery, and on December 3rd Susan wrote to tell me that he was dying. She wrote: ‘He talked about the ‘Dan’ project yesterday to Josh. Josh told him you had gotten his and Denny's songs approved for the CD. He said, ‘That makes me so happy, I'm confident Jean is going to make that CD happen in a big way....she's on it.’ and he smiled really big. Josh said so much of Dobie’s heart is in that project and he only wishes Dobie could be here to perform it live and watch the whole tribute unfold.’
Three days later, Dobie was gone. I too wish Dobie could have lived to see the tribute CD realized, and to have performed it onstage with his friends at the concert. Dan would have been honored to know that the last song the legendary Dobie Gray recorded was one of his.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
OLD TENNESSEE
“Dan first played ‘Old Tennessee’ for me and was hesitant about whether it was worthy of recording - he wanted my opinion. I told him I loved the song and thought he definitely should record it, and he did, and Fools Gold did, and now I have. I’ve loved this song from day one and sang it many times to my son Josh before he could even talk.”
~ Denny Henson
"'Don't Lose Heart': who could have foreseen that the message of this song would be needed to get us all through Dobie's diagnosis with liver cancer and then my dad getting a diagnosis of prostate cancer, the very thing that prompted this whole musical event. 'Old Tennessee': where it all began, with my dad backing up Dan in the early days with Fool’s Gold!
I am so proud to be a part of this project and all that it represents. Thank you, Dobie, for believing in the cause and respecting Dan so much that you gave it your all, literally until your last breath. You are in our thoughts and hearts, always. Thanks Dad for, well, where do I begin. So thankful for another day! Last but not least, thanks, Jean for your vision and musical direction. Dan would be so proud to see your commitment to this project and your efforts in making a difference in so many ways. Your love for Dan continues to shine. No truer words were ever spoken...it was all, 'Part of the Plan'."
~ Josh Henson
“It was one of the most heart warming moments in the studio, to see Denny and Josh performing that song together: Josh playing guitar and Denny singing - my, how the roles changed. When Denny finished the last line of the song (and that day, he was very weak) he patted his chest over his heart and said, ‘For you, Dan.’ There were many touching moments in Mike's studio during Dobie and Denny's sessions…lots of tears were shed. Josh was the ‘hero’ for all of us. He remained strong through it all, while pulling the best out of Denny and Dobie, his dad and his best friend. Josh's wife Allie said Josh was on such an emotional roller coaster during this time and sleeping very little, but he said he would do whatever it took to make a difference to a disease that had changed all of our lives.”
~ Susan Henson
“If we could add anything it would be to thank Dan for a friendship that will always be cherished and for, even after his passing, paving the way for us by bringing an awareness to a disease that too many men are in the dark about. We are grateful to you Jean, for the inspiration and strength you gave us every step of the way. You gave us hope when we thought there was none. We are so grateful for your passion, in bringing a greater awareness to this horrible disease. You taught us to ‘Don't Lose Heart.’”
~ Susan and Denny Henson
“I first met Susan and Denny Henson in Peoria in 2010 at the dedication celebration of the Riverside Park memorial monuments to Dan. Susan and Denny grew up with Michael McDonald, and Denny performed with Michael in a local group called ‘The Guild’, one of the biggest mid-west groups performing at the time. They played all the same places as Dan, REO, and many others. Denny would eventually become a part of ‘Fool’s Gold’, Dan’s opening band, and Dan would spend a lot of time with Denny and Susan and their kids.
As soon as they heard about the tribute CD project, Denny wanted to contribute something. Susan also began approaching the Nashville Walk of Fame to have Dan, and their good friend Donna Summer, inducted together, which would culminate in a concert around the induction and the release of the tribute CD, to benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation. This was all being organized and shared with me via email.
Norbert had invited me to be present at the studio in Nashville when Michael McDonald recorded ‘Better Change’, and I jumped at the chance, driving there from Colorado. Susan was there as well and, talking face to face, we quickly bonded and talked excitedly about walk of fame ideas.
Then, in May of 2011, Denny was diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer. The cruel irony of this was lost on no one. Denny and Susan wanted to continue with their plans but I was only too familiar with the hardships they were about to encounter and so, despite their protestations, the Nashville Walk of Fame and concert were put on hold.
They began the back and forth’s of traveling between Tennessee and Florida for tests and treatments. Over the next year, Denny and Josh went into the studio with old friends (Ricky Scaggs on mandolin) and bandmate Tom Kelly and recorded ‘Old Tennessee’. It was a difficult year for the Hensons, not just because of the exhaustion of travel, treatments, worry, and stress, but the loss of Dobie, and then Donna, as well as other friends falling ill. It made for some emotional recording sessions with their old friends, as you can imagine. But on September 8, 2012, Josh emailed me a rough mix of ‘Old Tennessee’ and it’s one of the most heartfelt tracks on the CD, made even more special because of the obstacles that had to be overcome to record it.
Denny persevered through all the harsh cancer treatments and is doing great, and he and Tom, as Fool's Gold, performed ‘Old Tennessee’ together at the tribute concert.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
AS THE RAVEN FLIES
In March of 2011, Casey James, the third-place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol, had signed with Sony Music Nashville and was opening for Sugarland on their The Incredible Machine Tour. Norbert had contacted Sugarland’s manager, who said Sugarland wasn’t interested, but she suggested Casey for the tribute CD. In June he went into Quad Studios with Norbert in Nashville and recorded (and rocked) ‘As The Raven Flies’, one of my all-time favorite Dan songs.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
SUTTER’S MILL
“In July of 2010, Randy Owen of ‘Alabama’ chose to record ‘Sutter’s Mill’ for the CD. I was glad there would be a song from ‘High Country Snows’, as the album was a departure for Dan that he caught a lot of flack for at the time, but ended up being one of the best-selling bluegrass albums of all time.
Randy was no stranger to cancer. In 2010 a routine PSA test showed that he had prostate cancer. Luckily, he found it in time and made a full recovery. The track that Randy and Norbert recorded at Quad Studios and Voodrew Room is full of rich harmonies and Randy’s signature vocals.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
RUN FOR THE ROSES
"We first became fans of Dan Fogelberg's music, around the time that we all moved to Colorado, in the early 70's. It was his brilliant album 'Souvenirs' that did the trick. After hearing songs like 'Illinois' and 'Part Of The Plan', we were totally hooked.
Dan's considerable skills as a musician and singer were undeniable, but it was his ability as a song-painter and storyteller that really drew us in, and moved us, as it would millions of his fans around the world.Over the years we were fortunate to share the stage with him a number of times, everything from huge rock festivals to tiny bars in the Rockies.
Getting to know, and hang out with, folks we admire has been one of the real bonuses of what we do, and Dan Fogelberg was one of those people - a great guy. We're extremely proud to be part of this project honoring Dan's music. As a side note, the Dirt Band's Jimmie Fadden played harmonica on the original recording of 'Run For The Roses'...this brings it full circle for us. Here's to you, Dan!"
Jeff, Jimmie, John, and Bob
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
June 2014
“When I first heard about this special project to honor Dan from his good friend Joe Vitale, I thought to myself - ‘this would be so cool to be a part of’ and then, I was. It is an honor to be included along with all the talented musicians on this project to say, “Thanks Dan, your music lives on – I hope we did you good!”
~ Richie Furay
"The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, along with Richie Furay, recorded 'Run For The Roses' in 2013 and they all came together in 2017 to perform it in Colorado at the tribute concert. In 2012 John McEuen and his sons recorded a beautiful version of 'Leader Of The Band' on their album, 'The McEuen Sessions.' In 2015 Richie Furay recorded 'Don't Lose Heart' on his album, 'Hand In Hand.'
Between the Dirt Band, Richie, and John, they paid tribute to Dan by covering three of his most well-known songs."
~ Jean Fogelberg
HARD TO SAY
“Boz Scaggs’ name came up early on; he was friends with the Hensons and Michael McDonald, and Chuck knew him as well; we were glad when he decided to come on board with ‘Hard To Say.’ His version has a dark, mysterious feel to it, I think.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
PART OF THE PLAN
“Joe Walsh is the hero of this song's story. In June of 2011, when I asked him if he wanted to record something for the tribute he said, 'Count me in. I should do something from Souvenirs - probably "Part of the Plan" but I'd like to do them all.' He did record Part of the Plan: he played all the instruments except the keyboards and he sang the lead vocals and harmonies before it was decided that the rest of the Eagles would join him on the track. Unfortunately, in July of 2013 they were at the beginning of their ‘The History of the Eagles - Live in Concert’ world tour, and it was slated to go for a couple of years.
Joe emailed us from all over the world, saying he had the tape with him and he would try to get the guys into a studio in London, Australia, etc. In December of 2015, Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmidt recorded their vocals and sent them to Joe and on February 3rd, 2016, the last track was finished. For his credits, Joe wrote:
Produced by Joe Walsh
Recorded at home
I miss you Danny
One of the few people on the planet that Dan didn't mind calling him 'Danny', Joe went above and beyond to honor Dan."
~ Jean Fogelberg
THERE'S A PLACE IN THE WORLD FOR A GAMBLER
“Jimmy Buffett originally wanted to record ‘Domino College’, a song he and Dan wrote together on a boat in the tropics, but we wanted this to be strictly about Dan’s music, so he chose ‘Same Old Lang Syne’, but Train was doing that song.
We were reserving ‘There’s A Place In The World For A Gambler’ for the Eagles; I loved the idea of each of them taking a different verse and then coming together with their iconic harmonies. Norbert cut the track with studio musicians, just the music, so all they had to do was add their vocals, but then it appeared that Glenn Frey and Don Henley were going to each record their own songs. Then Jimmy said he wanted to record it, so we said okay. We were sad to give up a track that we’d used our precious budget money for, but we knew that Jimmy and Mac McAnally would create something special.
Many people have said it just doesn’t seem like a Jimmy Buffett song, and, of course, it isn’t a Jimmy Buffett song. But once they hear it, most of them agree he sounds great singing it.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
LEADER OF THE BAND
“Zac Brown had already been performing Leader of the Band, to honor his own father, so when Chuck introduced him to the tribute project, it was a natural choice for the Zac Brown Band. They were insanely busy touring and could never find the time to go into the studio, so they ended up recording it live at Red Rocks, Dan’s favorite venue. Zac introduces it with ‘This is one of my favorite songs in the whole world, I dedicate this one out to my Dad.’ At the end of the song the Red Rocks crowd goes wild and Zac shouts, ‘Dan Fogelberg!’ Still on tour the night of the tribute concert, they recorded a video to be played during Dan's tribute portion.
I’d originally wanted to end the album with Gambler, because that’s how Dan ended his concerts, but everyone else thought that Leader of the Band, recorded live at Red Rocks, with the audience applause, seemed like a good way to close. Seems they were right.”
~ Jean Fogelberg
THANK YOU
Many, many thanks to everyone who lent your voices, instruments, talents and time to this tribute to Dan, undoubtedly one of the most talented musicians and songwriters of his generation. And to Dan's fans, who've known this for a long time.