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".
The Minstrel
Dan Fogelberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she waits for me every morning by the sea
Where the fishing hawk wheels and the sun warms the seals
There she lays at her silent anchorage for me
She is fine, she is fleet, she will run, reach or beat
With a song in her rigging and her sails
And when day is done we will lay two as one
And we sail away off to jericho bay
Where the blue of the sea meets the sky
And the song that she sings me, it brings me such peace
When the seas rise up angry and high
She's a friend of mine ~ the minstrel
There are loons off to port and the porpoises sport
In her wake as she breaks the rolling main
And with the wind in her sails, we will run with the whales
As they swim through their dark, diminishing domain
And we sail away off to jericho bay
Where the blue of the sea meets the sky
And the song that she sings me, it brings me such peace
When the seas rise up angry and high
She's a friend of mine ~ the minstrel
Dan Fogelberg's "Minstrel" is a beautiful ode to his sailboat, which he personifies as a lover waiting for him every morning by the sea. The song speaks to the deep connection he feels with his boat, which he considers neither a mistress nor a wife but something entirely different. He describes her as fine and fleet, capable of running, reaching or beating with a song in her rigging and sails. Fogelberg paints a vivid picture of sailing with his beloved boat on Jericho Bay, where the blue of the sea meets the sky, and the song she sings to him brings him peace even when the seas rise angry and high. He likens his boat to a friend, the minstrel, as she takes him on a journey through a magical world of loons, porpoises, and whales.
The lyrics of "Minstrel" are simple yet powerful, and the imagery they evoke is both vivid and emotionally resonant. The song speaks not just to the joys of sailing, but also to the deep connections we can form with the natural world and the vessels that help us explore it. Fogelberg's use of the boat as a metaphor for a kind of love that is neither human nor animal is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the idea that our passions and attachments can take many different forms.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a love in my life neither mistress or wife
I have someone special in my life who is neither my lover nor my spouse
And she waits for me every morning by the sea
She eagerly anticipates my arrival by the sea every morning
Where the fishing hawk wheels and the sun warms the seals
We meet in a place where fishing hawks spin in circles and the sun shines down on the seals
There she lays at her silent anchorage for me
She patiently waits for me at the harbor
She is fine, she is fleet, she will run, reach or beat
She is a beautiful, fast and versatile ship
With a song in her rigging and her sails
She sings a sweet melody through her sails and rigging
And when day is done we will lay two as one
We will spend the night together
And sleep 'neath the rolling rhythm of the stars
We will sleep under the stars and the waves of the sea
And we sail away off to jericho bay
Together we sail to Jericho bay
Where the blue of the sea meets the sky
Where the sea and sky blend into one blue horizon
And the song that she sings me, it brings me such peace
Her song brings me immense peace and tranquility
When the seas rise up angry and high
Even in rough waters, she keeps me safe and calm
She's a friend of mine ~ the minstrel
She's not just a ship, but a dear friend and muse, my minstrel at sea
There are loons off to port and the porpoises sport
We see loons on the left and playful porpoises on the right
In her wake as she breaks the rolling main
As she sails, she creates waves behind her and breaks through the open sea
And with the wind in her sails, we will run with the whales
With the wind pushing us, we gracefully cross the sea alongside the whales
As they swim through their dark, diminishing domain
We see them disappearing into the deep, dark waters of their world
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@petereyles5583
The Minstrel by the brilliant Dan Fogelberg is a musical masterpiece!!!! and that's a fact!
@187bertie
He left with us so many beautiful memories. I find myself so many times wondering how could anyone write so beautifully, so meaningful and so eliquently. His song s touch me in my heart of hearts, and I understand their meaning ( or at least my interpretation of them) but these beautifu things were so effortless for him. He was a kind, beautiful soul and had that "gift" and I'm so thankful that he shared it with the world. Thank you for posting this beautiful video!!!!
@rdoc
100 years from now this man will be thought of as one of the masters, right up there with the likes of Beethoven and Bach.
@headcaseworker
Wonderful video, Bill! I'm sure Dan would approve! I love the imagery of this song, knowing how much Dan loved his Minstrel. We miss you, Dan!
@lovemrj4ever
JMEagle101, thank you! Thank you for this gorgeous video that honors Dan and blesses us with so much joy. Peace and joy to you sir.
@JMEagle101
Thank you Greta, God bless you!
@CheezNrice4u
Was blessed to see him live under the oak trees of “The Backyard” along side of my brothers singing in harmony. It’s a beautiful memory. Thank you Dan.
@p4458700
Was there any other musician in this world who can write such beautiful songs and incorporate his own feelings and experience in life into melody and lyrics like Dan Fogelberg did? None. And there'll never be another Dan, I'm afraid. Thanks, Bill, once again, for taking us to a sail on the Minstrel!
@headcaseworker
Forever our Minstel, Dan! Thank you and may God bless you and Jean! We miss you, Dan...
@Mariaglenn
Oh my friend, it is quite simply stunning..I have always loved this song, and you captured the whole essence of the song, the sea, and his love of sailing...excellent! Thank you, I love it! Maria Glenn