AOTM: Seger’s Tribute to Frey is Not Meant to be a Hit

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 14: Inductee Bob Seger performs onstage at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 43rd Annual induction and awards at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 14, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)

In January of 2016, Glenn Frey passed away. The Eagles founder was just 67 and left an immense legacy with both the music world and people he was close to. One of those people was Bob Seger. To remember his long-time friend, Seger wrote “Glenn Song”. Seger’s intentions weren’t to write a hit song, but to honor Frey.

Both rockers grew up in Detroit and were a part of the local rock scene of the mid-60s. Seger told Rolling Stone he and Glenn listened to Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced in ’67 and joked about being out of jobs. However, Seger scored his first hit “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” within the next year and Frey made it big with the Eagles (rollingstone.com). Both artists went on to have very successful careers, and even though those careers took them in different directions, the two songwriters kept in touch. It was in late 2015 that Seger learned of Frey’s illness, and a couple months later he passed. In honor of their friendship, Bob Seger wrote and released “Glenn Song” in January 2017.

Structure-wise, the song lacks key elements to be considered a hit song. Seger said, “There’s no chorus per se or title section or anything. The idea was just to honor his memory and talk, very specifically, about my impression of him in 1966 when we first met (rollingstone.com).” Once recorded, Seger released the song for free on his website. No intention to write a hit. No intention to make money off it. Just a song in tribute to a man who was his life-long friend.

(Bob Seger’s “Glenn Song” was never intended to be hit, but a tribute to a life-long friend. Video courtesy of YouTube)

Bob Seger and Glenn Frey grew up in Detroit and were a part of the local music scene in the mid-60s. Both artists became successful musicians, and even though their careers took them in different directions, the two kept in touch. After the passing of Frey in 2016, Seger wrote a song called “Glenn Song” to honor his life-long friend. Rather than focus on writing a hit song, Seger wrote a tribute to a man who impacted many throughout his life including him.

~Jenna Jakes, WOGB

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