The youngest of three sons, Dan was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Margaret (née Irvine), a classically-trained pianist, and Lawrence Peter Fogelberg, a high school band director, who spent most of his career at Peoria Woodruff High School and Pekin High School. Dan Fogelberg's mother was a Scottish immigrant and his father was of Swedish descent. His father would later be the inspiration for the song Leader of the Band. Using a Mel Bay course book, Dan taught himself to play a Hawaiian slide guitar his grandfather gave to him; he also learned to play the piano. He started his music career at age 14 when he joined his first band, The Clan, which paid homage to The Beatles. His second band was another cover combo, The Coachmen, which in 1967 released two singles on Ledger Records: "Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget" and "Don't Want To Lose Her." Another was the blues band, Frankie and the Aliens, who toured regionally during the 1980s covering songs by Cream and Muddy Waters, among others.
After graduating from Woodruff High School in 1969, he studied theater arts and painting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and began performing as a solo acoustic player in area coffeehouses including the Red Herring Coffeehouse where he made his first solo recordings as part of a folk festival recording in 1971. There, he was discovered in 1971 by Irving Azoff. Fogelberg and Azoff – who started his music-management career promoting another Champaign-Urbana act, REO Speedwagon – moved to California to seek their fortunes. Fogelberg became a session musician who played with pop-folk artists like Van Morrison. In 1972, he released his debut album Home Free to lukewarm response. His second effort was much more successful: the 1974 Joe Walsh-produced album Souvenirs and its hit song "Part of the Plan" made him a major star.
Following Souvenirs, Fogelberg released a string of gold and platinum albums, including Captured Angel (1975) and Nether Lands (1977), and found commercial success with songs like "The Power of Gold." His 1978 Twin Sons of Different Mothers was the first of two collaborations with jazz flutist Tim Weisberg. 1979's Phoenix reached the Top 10, with "Longer" becoming a #2 hit and wedding standard in winter 1980. This was followed by his Top 20 hit "Heart Hotels."
The Innocent Age, released in October 1981, was Fogelberg's critical and commercial peak. This double album song cycle included four of his biggest hits: "Leader of the Band," "Hard To Say," "Run for the Roses", and "Same Old Lang Syne," based on a real-life accidental meeting with a former girlfriend (Jill Anderson). In 1984, he rocked a little again with the album Windows And Walls.
later years:
Fogelberg released High Country Snows in 1985. Recorded in Nashville, it showcased his (and some of the industry's best) talent in the bluegrass genre. Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen were among those who contributed to the record. In a world defined by "life in the fast lane" Fogelberg described the music as "life in the off-ramp." 1987 heralded a return to rock with Exiles, while 1990's The Wild Places was a tribute to Earth preservation. In 1991, he released the live album Greetings from the West.
River of Souls, released in 1993, was Fogelberg's last studio album for Sony Records. In 1997, Portrait encompassed his career with four discs, each highlighting a different facet of his music: "Ballads," "Rock and Roll," "Tales and Travels" (which displayed his talents as a narrative songwriter) and "Hits." In 1999 he fulfilled a career-long dream of creating a Christmas album called First Christmas Morning, and in 2003, Full Circle showcased a return to the folk-influenced, 1970s soft rock-style of music for which he and other singer-songwriters from his era had gained popular recognition.
Fogelberg also used his music to address social issues, including peace and Native American concerns. He was particularly outspoken about his commitment to the environment and to finding alternatives to nuclear power. To that end, Fogelberg included "Face the Fire" on the Phoenix album and performed at a number of the Musicians United for Safe Energy "No Nukes" concerts in 1979 and 1980.
His live concerts won acclaim across the nation over the years. Fogelberg said one of his proudest moments came in 1979 when he played New York City's Carnegie Hall for an audience including his mother and father. Most summers, Fogelberg would perform with full band or in solo acoustic setting; the formats allowed him to show the breadth and depth of his talent as a singer, guitarist, pianist and bandleader. In 2002, fans showed their appreciation by choosing Fogelberg to be one of the first 10 inductees into the Performers Hall of Fame at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.
In May 2004, Fogelberg was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He underwent therapy and achieved a partial remission, which did not eliminate his cancer but reduced it and stopped its spread. On August 13, 2005, his 54th birthday, Fogelberg announced the success of his cancer treatments and he thanked fans for their support. He said that he had no immediate plans to return to making music but was keeping his options open and enjoying spending time with his wife, musician Jean Fogelberg.
Fogelberg maintained residences in Deer Isle, Maine and at Mountain Bird Ranch, a 610-acre property near Pagosa Springs, Colorado that he bought in 1982. The ranch was put up for sale in 2005.
After battling prostate cancer for three years, Fogelberg died on December 16, 2007 at his home in Maine with his wife Jean by his side.
Soon after his death, Fogelberg's wife, Jean, announced that a song written and recorded for her by Fogelberg for Valentine's Day 2005, Sometimes a Song, would be sold on the Internet and all proceeds would go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The song was released on Valentine's Day 2008. She further announced that this song would be included in a collection of eleven previously unrecorded songs (nine originals) to be released on a CD provisionally entitled "Love In Time".
Magic Every Moment
Dan Fogelberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I went downstairs and found these shards of glass strewn all around
And there upon the floor I found this poor broken dove
And it made me realize how very fragile is this life that we so love
I came back up to bed and I held you so tight
And I prayed up to the father, oh I prayed with all my might
That he'd always keep you with me, that he'd always keep you safe
There's a magic every moment
There's a miracles each day
There's a magic every moment
Oh won't you let the music play
Oh won't you let the music play
On a high and windy island I was gazing out to sea
When a long forgotten feeling came and took control of me
It was then the clouds burst open and the sun came pouring through
When it hit those dancing waters in an instant all eternity I knew
There's so much we take for granted, there's so much we never say
We get caught up in the motion of just a living day to day
We are fettered to the future, we are prisoners of the past
And we never seem to notice 'til our lives have finally slipped right through our grasp
There's a magic every moment
There's a miracles each day
There's a magic every moment
Oh won't you let the music play
Oh won't you let the music play
You can see forever in a single drop of dew
You can see that same forever if you look down deep inside of you
There's a spark of the creator in every living thing
He respects me when I work but he so loves me when I sing
There's a magic every moment
There's a miracles each day
There's a magic every moment
Oh won't you let the music play
Oh won't you let the music play
There's a magic every moment
There's a miracles each day
There's a magic every moment
Oh won't you let the music play
Oh won't you let the music play
The song Magic Every Moment by Dan Fogelberg explores the fragile and fleeting nature of life, and the importance of cherishing each moment. The song begins with a scene of the singer finding a broken dove, which serves as a symbol of how delicate and brief life can be. He then goes back to bed and holds his loved one tightly, praying for their safety and wishing for them to always stay with him. The singer then has a moment of realization that we often take life for granted and move through our days without truly appreciating the beauty and magic that surrounds us.
The second verse takes the listener to a high and windy island where the singer experiences a moment of enlightenment while gazing out at the sea. He realizes that there is so much in life that we never say or acknowledge, and that we often become chained to our past or future, forgetting to live in the present. The singer also speaks of finding the spark of the creator in all living things, and how singing brings him closer to this divine force.
The chorus repeats the refrain "there's a magic every moment," emphasizing the message of the song that life is full of wonder and beauty, and that we should be present in each moment and let the music play.
Overall, the lyrics of Magic Every Moment encourage the listener to appreciate life and recognize the beauty and magic in each passing moment, instead of being held captive by the past or future.
Line by Line Meaning
I awoke this morning to a shattering sound
I woke up to a loud noise that shocked me.
And I went downstairs and found these shards of glass strewn all around
When I went downstairs, I saw pieces of glass scattered all over the floor.
And there upon the floor I found this poor broken dove
I found a hurt and shattered dove lying on the floor among the broken glass.
And it made me realize how very fragile is this life that we so love
Finding the dove made me understand how delicate and vulnerable our lives are.
I came back up to bed and I held you so tight
To feel safe and cherished, I held you tightly in my arms while going back up to the bed.
And I prayed up to the Father, oh I prayed with all my might
I prayed to God with all my strength to watch over and protect us.
That He'd always keep you with me, that He'd always keep you safe
I prayed for your safety and to have you in my life always.
And when I went downstairs I found that dove had somehow up and flown away
When I returned downstairs, I discovered that the dove had flown away without me knowing.
There's a magic every moment
Every moment holds a special or enchanting quality.
There's a miracles each day
Each day, we can witness and experience something extraordinary or wondrous.
Oh won't you let the music play
Let's listen to music and embrace those magical, miraculous moments.
On a high and windy island I was gazing out to sea
I was on a stormy island staring at the sea.
When a long forgotten feeling came and took control of me
An emotion, which I had long forgotten, appeared and overwhelmed me.
It was then the clouds burst open and the sun came pouring through
Suddenly, the clouds parted, and the sun brightened everything around me.
When it hit those dancing waters in an instant all eternity I knew
When the vibrant sunlight illuminated the waves, I realized the eternity of life.
There's so much we take for granted, there's so much we never say
We often forget to appreciate and communicate the value of the things we have.
We get caught up in the motion of just a living day to day
We get entangled in the busy cycle of living our daily lives.
We are fettered to the future, we are prisoners of the past
Our pasts imprison us in regrets, and our futures constrain us with uncertainties.
And we never seem to notice 'til our lives have finally slipped right through our grasp
We don't realize the beauty of life until it has already passed us by.
You can see forever in a single drop of dew
In a tiny dewdrop, you can perceive the vastness of the universe.
You can see that same forever if you look down deep inside of you
If you introspect, you'll witness that same endlessness inside you.
There's a spark of the creator in every living thing
Each living being contains a divine spark from the creator of the universe.
He respects me when I work but He so loves me when I sing
Although God values my efforts when I work, He enjoys when I sing wholeheartedly.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
headcaseworker
OH BILL, I LOVE THIS!!! Not enough stars to give you! One of Dan's best songs and your pictures were wonderful! Thank you so much! Dan would love this too! Hugs to you! Bev We miss you, Dan...
Lisa Blanton
Great to see the clips of Red Rocks! I live just a few miles from there. The most "magical" place to hear music. I saw Dan perform here in 1991, and also John Denver in the late 70s. Thanks for this memorable tribute to one of music's most gifted treasures.
HereGoesFolks
I had the pleasure of touring Red Rocks, but never got the honor to see Dan perform there. I was able to see Dan on several occasions at another outdoor venue in MD. Thanks for the photos and keeping Dan's music alive on the Tube. Please check out my tribute song to dan along with Jean's personal photos. The vid is up to 1,000 views. Pretty exciting.
Jay Moore
As usual, your work is flawless. This contains many photos I've never seen before and you've made them fit the music so nicely. Thank you forever!
Mary Kirk
Thank you for all your wonderful videos of Dan Fogelberg...he certainly was a genius storyteller. This song, though, has special meaning...as Dan's concert was the last thing that my mom was able to attend before she was bedridden fighting cancer. We were able to go together....sat 3 rows from stage...and he opened up with this song...I looked over to my mom and tears were streaming down her cheeks....man...what a memory...I will NEVER forget -- I hope they are both enjoying music now!
Debbie Schmidling
❤️
plant city chuck
There was no one like dan fogelberg.his music was in a class of its own.by far my favorite artist.his music puts me in a happy place.
JMEagle101
@asquare176 Dan’s lyrics and melodies have inspired me to come forward to create tribute videos to him after his passing, and I am glad I have done it and accomplished many. May his timeless music and boundless love continue to heal us through the toughest times, bring joy and happiness to you and stays in our hearts for ever on... God bless you always!
billp1955
Bill's middle name is "WONDERFUL"...it must be as much as Bev and I keep saying it! Love this one a BUNCH!
Vicki Baker
Good memories of awesome concerts - the best! Firefall is a favorite of mine, so Firefall with Dan must of been that special~ Thanks for sharing. Never been to Red Rocks, sounds totally amazing.