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