Dan Fogelberg dies of cancer at 56

Reuters ^ | December 16, 2007 | Reuters

[A.A. Cunningham]

Hello everyone,

Tomorrow, August 13th, is Dan's birthday. If you can, at around 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time USA, take a moment wherever you are to mentally join hands together with the rest of us who miss him, in remembrance. Take a quiet moment, or play his music ~ I'll be playing "The Reach", and picturing him sailing on a perfect day, with the wind in his sails and the sun on the sea.

And don't forget the "Quest" lapel pin will be for sale at the Prostate Cancer Foundation website to raise money for prostate cancer research and awareness in his name.

My best wishes,
Jean Fogelberg

[A.A. Cunningham]

www.mcall.com/entertainment/all-fogelberg.6530643aug10,0,2387014.story

A Tribute to Dan
Troubadour Fogelberg to be remembered at benefit concert organized by Berks musician
By Geoff Gehman

Of The Morning Call

August 10, 2008

Dan Fogelberg is Tom Hampton's musical north star. Inspired by Fogelberg, he switched from drums to guitars, began writing songs that mattered and became a professional performer with a conscience.

Fogelberg helped lead him from a primitive life in Tennessee among ''single-celled, small-minded beings who only knew the dirt under their feet and their assigned duties and identities.''

Hampton was terribly sad when Fogelberg died in December from prostate cancer. The next month he thanked his mentor in a volcanically passionate, deeply autobiographical blog.

On Wednesday night he'll honor Fogelberg again in ''Leader of the Band,'' a prostate-cancer fundraiser he organized at the Sellersville Theater, where the 43-year-old Berks County resident has backed a half-dozen acts on a half-dozen stringed instruments.

A half-dozen Fogelbergians will play songs by the romantic minstrel, angry prophet and probing pilgrim on what would have been his 57th birthday.

Jim Photoglo, a bassist-vocalist for three Fogelberg tours, including his last in 2003, plans to perform ''Same Old Auld Lang Syne,'' Fogelberg's bittersweet account of meeting a former lover in a grocery store during a holiday. Craig Bickhardt, who has written tunes recorded by the Judds and Ray Charles, expects to play ''Part of the Plan,'' Fogelberg's first hit and one of his many internal-rhyming, philosophical pop-rockers. ''Morning Sky,'' a cheery bluegrass kiss-off, will be finessed by the Refugees, a trio of female singer-songwriters with two members who opened for Fogelberg.

excerpt

[June K.]

Thank you very much for this.

As you know I am a devoted and long time fan of Dan Fogelberg and his leaving us has been hard for me.

I am interested in anything and any word written concerning Dan!

I mention him a lot on my own blog, still!

http://juniesplace.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

June K.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Robert McEntee, who played with Dan off and on for about 30 years, has written a tribute to Dan entitled "Over Peoria" and Jean Fogelberg has convinced him to release it.

Over Peoria

Photo by Jean Fogelberg

Also, Jean spread Dan's ashes while sailing out on the Reach on his birthday.

August 14, 2008

Hello everyone,

Well, I'm sitting here in Maine on another overcast, cold day. This summer has been an unusually wet one, with widespread power outages, flooding, and dampness-caused damage to hay crops as well as small fruits and vegetables. The last week has been especially rainy, with the exception of yesterday. And that's the day I'm writing to tell you about.

It had been a difficult few weeks for me. Going through hundreds of photos of Dan while laying out the "Love In Time" CD package was taking an emotional toll on me. But when I looked out the window yesterday morning and saw the beginnings of a glorious sunny day, I felt happiness well up inside of me. I thought: "This is the day". I knew that you would all be holding Dan in your hearts, so it would be the perfect day to fulfill a special promise I'd made to him.

Dan had asked me to pick a beautiful day in late summer, go out with our friends Jon and Sherry on their boat "Free Spirit", and scatter his ashes on the Reach. He wanted me to do it just before sunset, at the marker where he would turn at the end of the day to return to the cove, and home.

I had arranged everything tentatively with Jon and Sherry for his birthday, but with the understanding that we would re-schedule if the weather was too bad. No need. The hard rain the day before had scrubbed the air crystal clear, and they were calling for temperatures in the 70's.

We left the dock at 5:00 pm, the four of us: me, Jon and Sherry, and our good friend Jean, and just sailed and drifted around the Reach. They had brought crackers, veggies, fruit, shrimp, and dips, and I brought the champagne. We talked and laughed and reminisced, just as we would have if Dan were there with us physically. There was no moroseness, no awkward silences, no sniffling, and they had packed napkins and glasses for 5, so he was included.

I was wearing Dan's favorite blue sweater and the first necklace he'd ever given me, and had my hair in a braid (he loved my long blonde hair, especially in a braid). Jon and Sherry and Jean each had on one of Dan's sailing vests, and we all had our "Quest" pins on. I had my arm around the antique brown widemouth jar holding Dan's ashes sitting next to me. Dan and I had saved Buckaroo's ashes (the amazing Maine Coon cat, "Remington Buckaroo Boone", often credited on Dan's albums) all these years, and these too were in the jar, and the night before I had cut 5 inches off of my hair and snipped it into tiny strands and put them in the jar as well. The wind was perfect for drifting about aimlessly. But at 6:15 we started the engine and headed for the marker: a green "can" that marks the edge of a ledge. Amazingly, at this point we had the Reach to ourselves... not another boat in sight.

Jon cut the engine and let the sails take us quietly the rest of the way. We toasted Dan with champagne, and at 6:25 we brought up the boombox and put "The Reach" on and I carried the jar forward to the bow of the boat. We were heading directly toward the sun, which was brilliant white gold reflecting on the water. A Cormorant sat on the green can watching us. There was a gentle northerly breeze, and as I took Dan's ashes, a handful at a time, and slowly let them sift through my fingers, they swirled and danced away from me, sparkling in the sun before landing on the water and drifting with the tide, out into the Reach. I could hear Jon, Sherry and Jean crying out in astonishment as (they would later tell me) they watched Dan's ashes swirling and glowing with the sun shining through them.

I knew that at that very moment, as we were playing "The Reach" and honoring Dan here on the east coast, out on the west coast of California our friends Charlie and Suzie were playing "The Reach" as well, and ringing the original bell used in that recording. And around the world, people were honoring Dan in their own way, and playing their own favorite songs. It was a powerful moment.

We came alongside the marker and Jon gently rounded it and steered us toward the cove, and Reach Haven. As I let the last of Dan's ashes leave my fingers I was so filled with gratitude, wonder, and amazement that, like his passing, a moment that would always be a painful memory for me would also have so many elements of beauty and magic.

"The Reach" ended, and I came back to the stern of the boat, where my three shipmates were wiping their eyes with napkins. We all hugged and then sat for a moment of silence, mentally holding hands with everyone else who was sharing this special moment with us. I threw the flowers Dan's family had sent off the back of the boat one at at time, where they followed his ashes, and we each took a lavender rose picked from Jean's garden, said our last farewells, and tossed them into the Reach.

We turned "Free Spirit" around and headed back across the Reach to her mooring, our hearts filled with emotion, and everyone recounting the incredible beauty of what we'd just experienced. As we neared the mooring, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Dan. The sun had dropped behind a bank of clouds on the horizon, lining them in red and gold.

Dan was so many things: passionate sailor, incredible musician, loving husband, true friend, and a wonderful and unique human being. It was the end of a truly perfect day for honoring him and I hope you feel you were a part of it.

Sincerely,
Jean Fogelberg

[June K.]

A.A.Cunningham

Thanks for posting this for everyone to read.

It’s still so sad for me, remembering Dan and all we have lost with his passing!

I want to always remember him, though, and I know I will continue to enjoy his music for the rest of my life.

*Dan’s music was a huge part of my life for more than 30 years!*

I have not yet heard the tribute by Robert McEntee, but I will.

Thanks again!

June K.

http://juniesplace.blogspot.com/

[A.A. Cunningham]

For your interest:

http://www.amazon.com/Live-Colorado-1977-Dan-Fogelberg/dp/B001RTPCN8/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1238173464&sr=8-3

[A.A. Cunningham]

Have you downloaded your copy of Love in Time yet?

[June K.]

A.A.Cunningham; Mr_Moonlight

No, I haven’t! I want to get the CD.

I did a post about Dan today on my blog-_a remembrance for his birthday. I also mentioned the CD. and linked to the Living Legacy site.

My blog site!

http://juniesplace.blogspot.com/

[A.A. Cunningham]

You'll enjoy it. Very reminiscent of the Home Free/Souvenirs/Captured Angel/Netherlands era. I must have listened to "Days to Come" about a hundred times already and "Birds" will make you cry.

I also suggest you get yourself a copy of his interview/retrospective with Fred Migliore.

[June K.]

Thanks, A.A.C.,

I have been listening to the clips of the songs on Living Legacy! They all sound wonderful!

I saw on Amazon that the CD can be pre-ordered and will be available Sept 22nd, so I think I'll wait for that. I want to have it in my hands and look at the pictures and , hopefully, read every word of the lyrics, as I listen!

I just have such a sad feeling knowing this will be the last we will ever have from this wonderfully, talented man!

Dan's passing has been such a great loss for me! His music was a constant-almost daily-occurrence for me, for more than 30 years.

I STILL play his music and remember him and write about him often, at my blog site; although it's such a bittersweet thing to do, now!

Through the years I shouted my praises for Dan Fogelberg, far and wide, and introduced everyone I came in contact with to his sweet and so very special music! I have to say, too, most were easily won over!

Thanks to you for sharing in the remembrance of Dan Fogelberg!

June K.

[A.A. Cunningham]

So, now that you’ve had time to listen, what are your thoughts on Love in Time?

[Jackknife]

Great musician. Very sad.

[Phinanceguy]

I went through prostate cancer surgery last Sept. 08 I’m glad to be alive. Loved Dan’s music. Go get checked.

[June K.]

TO:

A.A.Cunningham

“So, now that you’ve had time to listen, what are your thoughts on Love in Time?”

June says...

I just got ‘Love In Time’ recently as a gift from my son.

To be truthful about this, I was a little reluctant to rush into getting it because I knew it would just bring on a flood of sadness for me...having the last new music we'd ever have from Dan! I knew I would get it, but I was holding off a little bit!

It did that, of course, but I was immensely pleased with the new music. It was a lot like his earliest albums, and, in fact, I'm sure most of these songs were from that earlier period!

I was very touched and loved the last song of the album - the Neil Young song, “Birds!”

Oh, I shed a few tears as I played this cd, especially that last song, but I loved every single song on it!

I posted about it on my blog and put the youtube on of “Birds.”

If you'd like to see the post, go here!

http://juniesplace.blogspot.com/2009/10/dan.html

Feel free to check out all my blogs! :)
(after all-there’s more to life than politics - right! :) )

June K.