Bob Seger and Glenn Frey were close friends with each other since the 60s. Back in the late 60s, Frey had formed the band ‘Mushroom’ and met Bob Seger. It was the same time Seger helped Frey get good management and helped him land a recording deal with Hideout Records. On top of that, the band’s very first single ‘Such A Lovely Child’ was also written and produced by Seger.
Bob Seger’s group, The Bob Seger System also released an album ‘Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man’ in 1969. There, Glenn sang and played guitar for the first time in the studio. Again, later on in life, Seger helped him by co-writing The Eagles’ hit song ‘Heartache Tonight’.
This was all a little bit of insight into their friendship and work together. Segar was like a role model for Frey and once influenced him which totally affected The Eagles’ career.
Glenn passed away on January 2016, and it was heartbreaking news for Bob Seger, his longtime friend. At that same time, Bob also paid tribute to his friend in an interview with Billboard. He reflected back on his younger days and remembered him. Bob said, “I knew him for 50 years. He was a great kid. I always kind of thought of him as my baby brother, a little bit. He was fucking brilliant. He was a joy to be around. I always looked forward to seeing him. It was always memorable. He had an amazing sense of humor and was just smart, whip-smart.”
He also added, “I just knew right away he had something special, And make no mistake about it: He was the leader of the Eagles. He was the band leader. Never doubt that for a minute, and they’ll all tell you that it’s true.”
And now how Bob Seger impacted Glenn…
Don Felder and Glenn Frey had a huge argument during a concert in Long Beach. It was on July 31, 1980. They were on the verge of breaking up, and they both had the intention but couldn’t because they had a deal with Elektra Records for a live album.
The same year, The Eagles broke up and all four members pursued their solo music careers. Fans were always in hope for a reunion, and finally, after 14 years the band reunited in 1994. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bob Segar talked about how he pushed Frey to do the Eagles reunion in 1994. He stated,
“[Glenn Frey] was such a positive influence in my life. We’d always call each other for advice. I pushed him to do that Eagles reunion [in 1994]. He was the only one that didn’t want to do it for years. I said to him, ‘I think you’d have fun.'”