Glenn Frey Grammys Tribute Will Feature Jackson Browne and Surviving Eagles Members
Jackson Browne and surviving members of the Eagles will be on hand to offer a musical tribute to Glenn Frey at the Grammys on Feb. 15.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the tribute will include a performance of "Take It Easy," an early Browne/Frey co-write that gave the Eagles their first hit single in 1972. "We wanted something simple and elegant, and in discussing it with the family, we wanted an uptempo moment," manager Irving Azoff told the paper. "We knew they were going to do something to honor Glenn, as they well should, and our band decided they’d like to participate in it rather than watch someone else do it."
Browne will be joined by co-founding Eagles Don Henley and Bernie Leadon as well as fellow band members Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh — and Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich couldn't be happier about how the tribute is coming together.
"The choice was pretty unanimous," he told the Times. "On our end, we would have been open to a number of choices. This one is befitting of Glenn’s contribution to the band on a vocal and on a songwriting level. I think it’s a great choice."
As Ehrlich admitted, Frey's Jan. 18 death added yet another name to the long list of musicians we've recently lost, including David Bowie and Lemmy — and it'll be difficult for the awards ceremony to include fitting tributes to them all.
"Even in our desire to honor the legacy of this band, Glenn’s passing — coming so close to the night of the show — presented certain challenges," said Ehrlich. "What is really gratifying is what the surviving members of the Eagles felt about the importance of honoring Glenn’s legacy by coming and appearing on the show."
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