- Fogelberg, Dan
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▪ 2008Daniel Grayling FogelbergAmerican singer-songwriterborn Aug. 13, 1951, Peoria, Ill.died Dec. 16, 2007, Mainecaptured the essence of the mellow, acoustic folk-tinged pop music that emerged on the American college scene in the 1960s and '70s. Although detractors derided his emotion-laden music as sentimental, Fogelberg's best-known songs—including “Part of the Plan,” “The Power of Gold,” “Longer,” “Hard to Say,” “Run for the Roses” (for the Kentucky Derby), “Same Old Lang Syne” (inspired by a chance meeting with a former girlfriend), and “Leader of the Band” (a tribute to his father, an educator and bandleader)—combined simple melodies and poignant carefully crafted lyrics. Fogelberg studied acting and art at the University of Illinois but found his true passion in music. He released a score of solo albums, beginning with Home Free (1972), which he recorded soon after dropping out of college. His last album, Full Circle, came out in 2003, but a follow-up tour was canceled after Fogelberg was diagnosed (2004) with prostate cancer.
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Universalium. 2010.