Bob Seger and Glenn Frey maintained a close friendship throughout the years. In 1967, Frey formed the band Mushrooms and met Bob Seger. Seger then helped Frey get a management and recording contract with Hideout Records, a label created by his management team. Moreover, he also wrote and produced the song ‘Such A Lovely Child,’ the band’s first single.
Bob Seger’s group, The Bob Seger System, released an album titled ‘Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man’ in 1969, and Glenn Frey sang backup vocals and played guitar for the first time in the studio on the album’s same-titled song. Later on, Seger co-wrote The Eagles’ hit song ‘Heartache Tonight’ from the 1979’s album ‘The Long Run.’ Moreover, Seger once influenced Frey on something that affected The Eagles’ career.
What Was Bob Seger’s Influence Over Glenn Frey?
On July 31, 1980, Don Felder and Glenn Frey had a heated argument during a concert in Long Beach, California. After the show, The Eagles came to the edge of breaking up, but they still had a commitment with Elektra Records for a live album.
Frey had already left the band and was in Los Angeles while the others worked on their parts in Miami. He refused to contact his bandmates, and The Eagles broke up in 1980 following the release. Then, the four members pursued solo music careers.
For around 14 years, fans speculated whether The Eagles would reunite. Finally, after 14 years, the band reunited in 1994. In a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, Bob Seger stated that he and Frey always called each other for advice, and it was him who pushed Frey to do The Eagles reunion in 1994.
In the interview with Rolling Stone, Bob Seger said about Glenn Frey the following:
“[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.'”
So, it appears that Bob Seger not only influenced Glenn Frey for his music career but also suggested him something that had a significant impact on The Eagles’ music career.
