Dan Fogelberg dies of cancer at 56

Reuters ^ | December 16, 2007 | Reuters

[ABN 505]

Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, famed for the soaring vocals and elegant instrumentation of tunes such as "Longer" and "A Love Like This," died on Sunday, three years after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He was 56.

[gathersnomoss]

WHAT???? I am sitting here with my 2 liter solution, waiting to get the checkup in 3 hours.

[ArmstedFragg]

I was just dx’d with Prostate Cancer.

One piece of advice from a 2003 dx: read, learn, and don't make a treatment decision until you talk to an Oncologist.

"Relax, you've got options"
http://www.ipcsg.org/

[P.O.E.]

I was always partial to the “Twin Sons of Different Mothers” album.

[Proud2BeRight]

He was a good artist. Sad to see him gone so young.

The PSA is such an easy blood test. All men should be having it done regularly.

[jennyjenny]

No to the Morning and Stars are two of my favorites. Actually, it's hard for me to pick a favorite as I loved them all, every one of them. I own all of his albums and never missed a concert here. RIP, Dan. You'll be missed.

[wtc911]

My age.

I'm at that point where I hear of folks my age dying with a lot more regularity. Years ago my attitude was always unconditional sympathy. Now I'm sorry but I find that the dominant feeling is more like..."too bad but glad it's not me". Then I put it out of my mind.

[devane617]

Arm, I have learned during the past two months that Prostate, and all cancer for that matter, is big business. All Dr’s are looking out for their own specialty. The Urologist wants me to have surgery, and the Radiation Oncologist wants me to have IMRT radiation treatments. Since I have other medical problems, I am leaning toward the radiation treatments. I never imagined that cancer was such big business, and that no one will give you the bottom line. Am informed decision via patient research is the only way to get a straight answer about treatment options.

[PGalt]

Condolences to Dan Fogelberg’s family and friends. My wife introduced me to his outstanding music and lyrics about 30 years ago.

RIP Dan.

[Remole]

Pardon me for jumping into the conversation. . . . I was diagnosed with Prostate CA in Jan 04. The PSA was normal, but the DRE (do I have to spell it out?) showed a small growth. So I was left with a variety of options, and you are right, each specialty wants to promote its own technique. A nurse friend of mine gave the metaphor: if all you’ve got is a hammer, all your problems look like nails. In the end, I chose prostatectomy (minimally invasive surgery) because I wanted a definitive biopsy, and that’s something that the radiation cannot give. Feel free to freepmail me if you want any more ideas.

[June K.]

how often does anyone think of Dan Folgelberg anymore, and yet, even before I read this, I thought of him today

Funny how that happens, isn’t it?<<<

I had thought of Dan every day for the past 30 + years-

His music had a great impact on my life.

...but I too, had had him on my mind more recently and had posted about him on my blog and also had put on some vids I found.

I will miss him and all the new music he would have given us...

June

(juniesplace.blogspot.com/ )

[keeper53]

I really liked “Captured Angel”.

keeper

[Glenmerle]

pussification of American males.

First, keep your foul language to yourself.

Second, males who supposedly become wimps through listening to someone's music were wimps to begin with.

[Glenmerle]

I will miss him and all the new music he would have given us...

It's such a loss, isn't it? Think of all the years of writing he might have had ahead of him.

[devane617]

Remole, Having the gland removed certainly makes a definitive decision as to whether the cancer has spread to surround tissue. In my case, I had only two of twelve biopsy cores return as positive. One had 5% cancer, the other 10% cancer, and both had a Gleason of (3+3)=6. So it looks like I am very early in the process, and according to my research it is about 86% certain that is has not spread past the Prostate wall. I have found no data to support either decision as the best. Both surgery, and radiation, has the exact result according to data. Since I have other significant medical problems, although I am only 53, I am strongly leaning to IMRT radiation.

[June K.]

These are such insightful lyrics!!

Oh my! I will miss Dan so very much!

It’s almost too much to deal with this a week before Christmas!

R.I.P.

June

[UConnHuskyInTexas]

“Twin Sons...” was a gift from my first true love almost 30 years ago. I grew to enjoy all of Dan’s music, and saw him several times in concert; sometimes with his band, and sometimes solo. Memories of his music and my girlfriend always come back to me when I go back home to visit. Thirty years later I do look for “my old lover in a grocery store...”.

Thanks for the music Dan. It is truely a sad day.

[McGruff]

Boy I am 56 also. My doctor made me get a prostate exam at 50. They found early stages of prostate cancer and removed it. Just had a check up and I'm perfect. GET A PSA COUNT TEST!

Incidentally John Fng Kerry and I both had prostrate surgery on the same day. Don't hate me for that.

[June K.]

Jackson Browne was superb-and still is -IMO- except that he has become so political in his lyrics!

I liked him better when he sang about personal /love relationships!

Dan- on the other hand- never once disappointed me !

It hurts to know that Dan’s sweet music is finished!

June K.

[SpeakLittle_ThinkMuch]

My favorite from his later songs...

FOREFATHERS

They came from scandinavia, the land of midnight sun
And crossed the north atlantic when this century was young
They’d heard that in america every man was free
To live the way he chose to live and be who he could be

Some of them were farmers there and tilled the frozen soil
But all they got was poverty for all their earnest toil
They say one was a sailor who sailed the wide world round
Made home port, got drunk one night, walked off the pier and drowned

My mother was of scottish blood, it’s there that she was born
They brought her to america in 1924
They left behind the highlands and the heather-covered hills
And came to find america with broad expectant dreams and iron wills

My granddad worked the steel mills of central illinois
His daughter was his jewel, his son was just his boy
For thirty years he worked the mills and stoked the coke-fed fires
And looked toward the day when he’d at last turn 65 and could retire

And the sons become the fathers and their daughters will be wives
As the torch is passed from hand to hand
And we struggle through our lives
Though the generations wander, the lineage survives
And all of us, from dust to dust
We all become forefathers by and by

The woman and the man were wed just after the war
And they settled in this river town and three fine sons she bore
One became a lawyer and one fine pictures drew
And one became this lonely soul
Who sits here now and sings this song to you

And the sons become the fathers and their daughters will be wives
As the torch is passed from hand to hand
And we struggle through our lives
Though the generations wander, the lineage survives
And all of us, from dust to dust
We all become forefathers by and by

Thank you Dan.

Prayers to his wife and family.

[ahoopfan]

Sorry to hear about Fogelberg-I appreciated his body of work. I was diagnosed w/ prostate cancer about 2 months ago. I just had the robotic surgery (DaVinci Procedure) 7 days ago & I feel great. All margines are clear. All men will develop prostate cancer if they live long enough so PLEASE HAVE YOUR PSA TESTED EVERY YEAR!!!!!!!!!!! It is very treatable IF diagnosed early.