Dan Fogelberg Memorial

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Dear Dan, Your gifts of singing, writing and playing guitar and piano reflect a depth of soul and truth of spirit that continue to touch me and my family to this day.

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Dear Dan, For years you and your music have walked with us 'Along the Road'. We have taken your inspirational words as guidance and support through every peak and valley of life.

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I am just another fan who feels blessed to have been the right age when Dan Fogelberg sprang forth into our musical consciousness.

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Dear Dan, You've touched our hearts, danced with us, encouraged us, and made countless moments of our lives more precious.

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Ever since I was 13, your songs have been my musical "home". The lyrics have always spoken to some part of me that is mine alone.

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Dear Dan, Your words and music have made the world a better place for me.

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Thanks for being a big brother, pointing the way, sharing your music of life & love, and most of all, teaching me to be a gambler.

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You write the songs that people think were written 'just for them'. We are in awe of your talent.

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You have given so much to so many -- and helped heal so many hearts. I have grown up with your music - experiencing great hope, great joy, great loss, great sorrow -- a great life -- to an incredible soundtrack you created so graciously.

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I think the noblest career of all is that of a musician, with the power to express oneself with beautiful words and sounds and most of all, the power to touch others' hearts.   In this life, my capacity for music is limited to that of extreme appreciation, but it holds a strong power over me, and your music has accompanied the grandest and most sorrowful moments of my life.

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Dan’s music has been a blessing to me. If I could touch one life the way he has touched mine, my life would have great meaning.

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I have never felt so connected to songs as I have to yours.

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The greatest thing is to know how many hearts were touched and are touched by your melodies.

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I thank God you followed your destiny to share that beautiful voice and gift of words with the world.

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I am constantly amazed at the beautiful sounds you manage to capture for us, your friends.

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The honesty and beauty of your music has had such a profound influence in my life. Only a Fogelberg fan can appreciate the connection we feel to each other and to you.

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Dear Dan, Your music has felt my pain, lifted my spirits and kept me singing for decades. As the old albums wore out, they were replaced with CD's so the enjoyment would never be interrupted. Thank you for your music and sharing it with the world. Our lives are better because of your songs.

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Dear Dan, Your message has been a best friend and inspiration for many, many years. I now have the pleasure of watching my children learn your message as they not only listen when I do but "secretly" put your CD's on themselves (they are teens and won't admit to this!).

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There is no way to thank someone who has had such an impact on my life. You've made me laugh and cry, made me happy, angry, sad, and every emotion in between.

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Your songs of the environment, the earth & of family & faith are an inspiration & beauty in my life.

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You are the finest poet of our age and it is difficult, I imagine, for you to totally understand the impact you have had on music and artists. You are the voice of not only one age...but many ages, times and generations.

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Dear Dan, I've been playing the guitar most of my life and much of my repertoire is made up of your songs. Thank you for sharing your reflections of life through your music.

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Your music has touched my heart like no other. You have moved me to tears and lifted my spirits. I have been a loyal fan for over 25 years.

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My father, like yours, was a musician and when he passed away a few years ago, "Leader of the Band" comforted me in those quiet, melancholy moments one has after such a loss.

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Dear Dan, I have leaned on the poetic phrases and images created in your music for many years now. The celebration and comfort within them have been my friend in the sweetest of hours and in the stinging moments too. My life is richer believing certain people are somewhere in the world living their lives, creating, growing, becoming. And clearly you are one such person.

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I played "Run for the Roses" every day while pregnant to my unborn daughter, using headphones placed on my stomach. Two years ago, my daughter went off to college. When I left her dorm room on that fateful day, I left "The Innocent Age," under her pillow with a note explaining how meaningful that song had been to us, and telling her that her moment is now at hand. Of course, I cried most of the way home, but a new fan was born.

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Your music will live eternally as will you.

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Dan, there is an amazing love for you in this world, and I continue to believe that this love is steadfast and enduring.

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Sitting alone or with friends, I would listen to your calming voice and absorb your words, and I’d put the world away for a while. I want to thank you for sharing your gifts with me over the years.

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A Dan Fogelberg song is always a welcome friend.

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You are such a talented man and God has blessed you in many ways. You have touched so many people's lives. Your music is a breath of fresh air and encouragement. I want my children to grow up listening to you. Your music lives on from generation to generation.

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Your artistry has been a significant part of my life for all these years. You have brought me consolation during the darkest hours, and I have sung right out loud with you (poorly) during those magic moments of euphoria. I feel that I can never thank you enough for what you have shared.

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Dear Dan, I finally hugged my father before he left; I finally found peace after lost love; I finally claimed a purple mountain for my soul -- all this because of your musical journey, always more than lyrics and melodies. I finally discovered gratitude and grace. Your music is timeless; your heart, boundless.

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Dan, your music has held a place deep in my heart since your first release. I couldn't go a day without playing your songs over and over.

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Dan, I was once asked "If you were stranded on a desert island, what one singers' music would you want to have with you?" I have, and always will, choose your music.

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Dear Dan, Your music has long been my sanctuary – the place I go to renew my spirit.

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Through the years you have stayed with me. I feel like you are part of my family. You have brought joy, beauty, comfort, insight, bonding to so many for so long.

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Your music has been a part of my life for 30 years. I have been delighted to see you in concert many times, and each time I felt as if I was visiting an old friend.

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Your words and music have been such a joy and comfort to me for so long. It seems as though no matter what I am going through I can find solace in them.

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Very few of us have the opportunity to change the world for the better, but you have certainly done that. That is a legacy of love and understanding that very few can rival.

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We've been huge fans of yours for over thirty years. Your music has helped us through some rough times of our own and enhanced our celebrations during some very good times. It's a constant in our lives.

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You've been like a brother to me since the first time I heard “Part Of The Plan” on AM radio. Your version of “Since You've Asked” was sung at my wedding. “The Reach” helped to soothe my infant son. “Forefathers” provided perspective when my dad died, and “When You're Not Near Me” tugged at my heart when I lost my wife to a deadly illness. The point is, you've been a very important part of my life for a very long time.

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The timbre of your voice, your Scandinavian-Scottish "something" is as timeless as Pavarotti.

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Dan, your music has always been a warm and kindly place that I have gone to when I needed peace.

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Dear Dan, Your words and music have warmed hearts and stirred souls. Your artistry has awakened creativity within us that had long been sleeping. Your commitment to the conservation of nature and wildlife has accelerated our awareness. For all of this, I am thankful.

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You always amaze me with your ability to write insightful lyrics that not only touch my heart but are so often deeply profound. Then you write melodies that touch my soul, and you bring them together in a myriad of styles. You are truly one-of-a-kind.

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Thank you for your voice--so clear and compassionate. Thank you for your talent--so natural and real. Thank you for following your dreams and contributing to mine. You are like a boat in my harbor that is waiting for me to sail on. You have been there with me in my best and darkest hours. And I have reached for you often--when only your voice would soothe me.

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Dan, Your music and lyrics are magical and have been a treasure. It's like you knew me and what I was going through during each phase of my life.

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Every time I hear one of your songs on the radio, I sing along and remember how I felt the first time I heard that particular song.

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Dear Dan, through all the challenges I have faced, you offered me comfort and hope and, in a strange way, friendship, through your music.

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Along the road, I always had you with me and when I needed inspiration, all I had to do was listen.

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My friend whom I have never met, your music has been a significant part of the soundtrack of my life.

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Your songs and music are inspirational. I often quote your lyrics to my family, friends, and myself as a source of comfort and hope. Thank you for sharing your gifts.

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You can't imagine how much your music has meant to me. Maybe it's because we share the same concerns. Or perhaps, it's simply that I love a thoughtful, well written song, and you have a rare talent for bringing words and music together. In any case, I've come to think of you as an old friend.

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Dear Dan, Your music has been one of the greatest gifts in my life. At times, it has been the only thing that made any sense and reminded me that my heart was still able to feel and to love. You have played my heart strings. Thank you!

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Dan, I do not think I could have made it through many of the challenges of my life without the inspiration of your music! Through it I was able to find comfort and shelter.

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Thank you so much for sharing your music with the world - we fans have been truly blessed.

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I visualize you on the stage with your guitar, under a canopy of stars. I'll be there, no matter where it is.

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Please know that all the joy and beauty and love you have given to the  world are returned to you many times over by all the people who love you and your spirit so much.

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I know one day I'll flip on the radio and there you will be, with the same eloquence you've always had, serenading me with a melody that is unforgettable and true to the moment.

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Dear Dan, This is like writing to someone who has been one of my best friends and by my side for more than thirty years, even though we've never met. I knew, at seventeen years of age, that I had found a voice that was like a soul mate to my dreams and aspirations.

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Who among us cannot relate to a masterpiece like "The Innocent Age"? I've always thought of Dan as a kind, caring man who puts his heart and soul into his work.

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"To the Morning" is a little piece of you in our hearts, forever.

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We’d like to thank you for the unforgettable melodies, intelligent lyrics and damn good ballads you have treated us to all these years.