Glenn Frey

Glenn Frey could tell a story by just digging into his guitar. I first met him through John David Souther–they had a duo called Longbranch Pennywhistle. I hired Glenn for my tour to replace Bernie Leadon, along with Don Henley, who I’d also seen play at the Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood. We weren’t making enough money to afford hotel rooms for everybody, so we had to double up, and he and Don were roommates. They wanted to form a band, and we told them they could play backup for me until they got a record deal. I suggested Bernie for their band, and my manager suggested Randy Meisner. We introduced the Eagles to one another.

Glenn was kind of shy and insecure, and it took a lot of courage to perform at the Troubadour, where the circle included Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Carole King, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. But he wasn’t afraid to step up and take his chance. He had a clear idea of the story he wanted to tell–and he told it with that guitar. He had plenty of talent, but he also had raw nerve and gumption.

There are a lot of pushy people out there who have nothing to back it up. But Glenn knew when to make his move. He was incredibly brave. And what he did resonated with the world.

Ronstadt is a singer and songwriter