Today’s news brings the death of singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, author of songs such as “Leader of the Band” and “Same Old Lang Syne”. Those who know me know that I’m not a rock concert person. I’ve only been to a few, and memory tells me that one of them was a Dan Fogelberg concert (at the Forum, I think). I went to this concert with my next-door neighbor at the condo that I once owned in Brentwood (the suburb of Los Angeles, not the community in Northern California). I googled her name; she seems to be a lawyer now (if I remember her name correctly). This is back when I was just finishing up my undergraduate degree at UCLA, putting it in the 1981-1983 timeframe, before I got involved with gf_guruilla.
So, thank you Dan, for your music and bringing back that memory.
I thank you for the freedom, when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness, and the times when you got tough
And, pap, I dont think I said I love you near enough.
The leader of the band is tired, and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul.
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band
