Dan Fogelberg

BORN: August 13, 1951, Peoria, IL

Peoria, IL, native Dan Fogelberg has built a devoted following over the years with his laid-back, folky singer/songwriter style. A pianist since 14, Fogelberg switched to guitar and played local coffeehouses while majoring in art at the University of Illinois, where he met ex-student and REO Speedwagon manager Irving Azoff. Fogelberg relocated to Los Angeles and played the folk circuit while doing session work, landing a tour spot with Van Morrison at one point. Fogelberg's 1972 debut, Home Free, didn't make much of an impact, and he was dropped from Columbia. However, Fogelberg's connection with Azoff led to a deal with Epic. Fogelberg's Epic debut, Souvenirs, became his first in a string of seven consecutive platinum albums. He increased his visibility by touring with the Eagles in 1975. Fogelberg's popularity peaked in 1980 with the release of Phoenix, which contained the number two hit single "Longer." His follow-up, The Innocent Age, was a double concept album, and four Top 20 singles were pulled from it. Following the release of a greatest-hits package, Fogelberg's commercial appeal began to evaporate; none of his subsequent albums have gone platinum, but continue to sell well to a core of fans. 1993's River of Souls saw Fogelberg experimenting with worldbeat sounds as a backdrop for his lyrical musings. No Resemblance Whatsoever, a collaboration with Tim Weisberg, followed in 1995, and four years later Fogelberg returned with First Christmas Morning. Live: Something Old New Borrowed and Some Blues appeared in mid-2000. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide