Open letters to Dan from his
fans...
August 15, 1998
Dan -
I've always wanted the opportunity to say thank you for the
incredible way your music has touched our souls through the past
decades. I've been a "Dan Fan" since 1975, as have been
my sister and brother. It's a wonderful bond for the three of us.
I know of no other performer who is so truly an artist in every
way. You have the soul of a poet, with the wit and intelligence
of the original muses. Thank you for the wonderful gift of your
music - and Happy Birthday!
MK
August 13, 1998
Dear Dan,
Just a note to wish you a very happy birthday. May your
"restless soul" be still today.
Dianne
August 13. 1998
Dan, I celebrate this day. The day your Spirit came to earth to
be with ours. Thanks for being a human being rather than a
superstar. Thanks for writing, playing and singing from your
poetic soul, your sense of fun, your experience of life, your
individuality. May you be well blessed. Happy Birth Day!
ever on,
Deann
August 10, 1998
Mr. Fogelberg,
I'm not in the habit of writing fan letters, but I do want to
take this opportunity to thank you for some great music over the
years. Some memories I'd like to thank you specifically for:
1. There's a place in the world... the video ABC made to the
music for the olympics. Remember Franz Klammer's downhill run?
great stuff.
2. leader of the band... this song came on the radio at work the
other day, and I had to leave to compose myself. I lost my father
a few years ago; he also was a leader of the band.
3. souvenirs and Captured angel... we made several "make-out
tapes" from those two albums, and of course, they were much
more useful for fantasy purposes than anything else.
4. Not a thank you, but.. I thought it was great that Garth
Brooks acknowledged you as an influence. It's quite obvious that
he's spent some time listening to your music.
Thanks again.
Bob
August 9, 1998
Dan,
I remember in 1972 hearing "To The Morning" for the
first time. It was on an album by an obscure artist I had picked
up trying to broaden my musical horizons. Since that first
listening, I have owned everything you record from the day of
release. I have yet to miss one of your performances in the
Dallas/Ft. Worth area (to my knowledge). Most recently, I caught
the show at the Wildflower Festivel in Richardson Tx. We were on
the front row. At that performance, I was fortunant enough to me
your "significant other". She was standing about
halfway back in the crowd. I recognized her, as we saw you come
in together. She was as charming and pretty as anyone I would
ever hope to meet. I really thought it was grat that she wanted
to see the performance from, in her words, "the perspective
of the crowd". Not wanting to wear out our welcome, my
girlfriend and I excused ourself promptly after a brief chat.
I have been backstage to one of your concerts in Dallas. It was
the tour with Tim Weisberg a few years back at the Coca-Cola
Starplex. Tim was great. He is one of my favorites as well. The
album "A Party of One" was a pinacle in his long career
(in my humble opinion). It rained so hard that night that you
didn't come out and "smooze". That was one of the
greatest disappointments of my life. I have been trying to get
your autogragh for, at least, 20 some-odd years now. You are an
allusive person, I must say. As one to respect anothers privacy,
I can accept that. But, I will keep trying... If you have time,
drop me a response. I am truly one of your oldest and most
devoted fans. Thanks for all the wonderful music and the part of
your soul you have shared with us over the years.
Sincerly,
Chet Rice
August 4, 1998
Dear Dan- August 1998
I saw you at the Cape Cod venue in July. I accidentally ended up
sitting in the front row. Your shoes were similar to mine and I
think you looked right at me a couple of times. Anyway, I loved
the "borrowed" song you sang. You sing with such
intensity and I can really relate to that since I am also a leo
who sings(soprano), composes, and plays the guitar and piano.
And, the one picture I have painted in my life is of a sailboat
drifting off to sea.
I admire the way you dedicated your video "Greetings from
the West." I especially love the line, "let every
creature I see be a brother and a friend to me." You have
such a mesmerizing gaze on your best of cd and in person. You
really pull your compositions together with a rich style that is
unparalleled! Thanks so much for "Run for the Roses."
I've sung it before and just about brought the house down! You
give so much of yourself to your music and it really is
cherished!
I hope your sailing trip was a pleasurable experience, this time,
and the sea and sky were a beautiful shade of turquoise blue.
I also noticed your array of beverages at the show and wished I
could tell you about a product which has really helped me and a
friend of mine who also sings. There is a healthier alternative!
I don't know if you are health conscious or completely apathetic.
If you are interested, however, I can be reached at:
Kwickie@aol.com
Forever grateful for your gift and the way you share it!
Michele
July 20, 1998
Dan,
Maybe you read these letters, maybe not. *S* After reading these
letters and knowing how deep from inside these folks' hearts they
come, I had to add my two cents. You have always been one of my
favorite artists, James Taylor being the other. I have all of
your records but have never seen you in concert. In 1989, I was
diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The Wild Places came out and I
played the cd so much that it became a part of my soul. It'd take
me away when the pain became so unbearable that I thought I'd
die. It made me smile, it made me laugh. I prayed for the
strength to return to hiking in The Wild Places and for the
salvation you seemed to find in Anastasia's Eyes. In the coming
years, the cancer recurred twice and through numerous radiation
treatments and chemo drips, I listened to you on my walkman and I
told myself I had to live through it just so I could finally see
you in concert and maybe get to meet you. Somehow, although that
might seem a bit of an untraditional reason to survive, it worked
for me. It inspired me to go back to my Native American roots (my
mother is Cherokee)and take non-traditional herbal treatment
instead of chemo which wasn't working.....And I did make it. I've
been in remission for a year now and I'm going to the concert
Tuesday in Atlanta. It will truly be a milestone in my life and a
celebration as well. I've always wanted to say thank you even
though you had no idea what I was going through or that you
helped. Your music is inspirational. It isn't so much
specifically the lyrics or the musical notes, it has to be you
and the pieces of your soul that you share. Any true Fogelberg
fan knows of which I speak. So, Mr. Fogelberg, thank you for your
music and the inner peace you bring to others through the gift of
your music. I wish you peace and happiness....P.S. If you ever
read this and would like to say hello, my e-mail is
daisyjane1@hotmail.com.
Victoria
July 20, 1998
Dan,
Can't wait to see you in concert at Wolf Trap tonight. I've been
a fan since the late 70's. You're songs touch my soul and open my
heart. I saw you in Austin in 1994 with my sister. It brings back
many memories for both of us. I'd love to see you with full
orchestration again, but understand your need to perform your
songs solo too. If you decide you need someone to work with you
in the studio or in concert on harmonies and counter melodies,
give me a call. I'd be honored.
TL
July 19, 1998
Dear Dan:
Last Tuesday I saw your concert once again at Westbury Music
Fair. It is always one of the highlights of my year. This year I
brought a friend who liked your music but wasn't a great fan. He
was quickly converted. You were spectacular as always although I
wish you would have concentrated more on doing your older
material from albums such as Souvenirs and Netherlands instead of
your more commercial songs. Of course though, you are great
whatever you do. Can't wait till next year.
Your devoted fan,
Karen
July 19, 1998
Mr. Fogelberg,
I write this, like many others, to express my gratitude for years
upon years of great music, though I first discovered you through
my father six years ago as a ten year old boy, listening to his
now worn-out Greatist Hits album. I have since purchased all of
the CD's of yours that I know of, and listen to them in the car,
at home, etc. Your music has touched me in a way no others can
quite match, helping pull through some tough times, or to just
pass the time. I couldn't say I had a favorite song or album, but
if I had to pick, "Make Love Stay" would be my favorite
song, and "The Innocent Age" my favorite album. I
couldn't say anymore without sounding redudant, so I'll just say
thanks again.
Mike Moriarty
P.S. You've got to come back to San Antonio sometime.
July 17, 1998
Hi Dan,
I'm a very new fan of your music. I got a tape from a friend and
I got hooked immediately... boy am I glad I discovered your
music. Listening to your songs touch me all the time and makes me
happy. Thanks for sharing your talent with us. I hope you will
keep on doing your wonderful work!!!
Good thoughts and lots of love from Germany
Rike
**************
You will find as you look back upon your life,
you have really lived,
are the moments when you have done things
in the spirit of love.
Henry Drummond
July 7, 1998
First of all, we all owe a ton of thanks to Pete for the really great information clearinghouse and also to Wynn for giving all of us who have been touched by Dan's spirit over the years the opportunity to share with other folks around the country (and the world) what Dan's special talents have meant to us. Reading through the letters has been a real revelation--to see so many folks with really warm stories on how Dan's music has been with them for so long that they feel as though he's part of the family--like his voice has been heard in your home for so long that it feels like it belongs there as much as the voices of the folks who live there. Doesn't it feel almost as if he's been in our heads and hearts all these years, saying all the things we wish we knew how to say ourselves? I feel honored to have read the depth of feelings from Lori in Nashville, Tim from Seattle and Denise from Pittsburgh, and all the hundreds of others who have taken the risk of letting others see how they felt (corny or not). Like many of you, my feeling when I wrote this letter (which was before I even knew about the Website) was that it would probably never be seen by Dan, but that I needed to do this anyway, that I had to somehow put into words my thanks to Dan for the profound effect he's had on my life and that of my wife and sons. Reading the many letters, it's heartwarming to see that so many others have been similarly touched. Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. Please bear with me as I share my letter to Dan.
May 27, 1998 (now July 7th)
Dear Dan,
This letter is long overdue. I’ve never been much for fan
mail. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall ever writing a fan
letter before. The occasion for this one is our 25th wedding
anniversary. I would imagine that you get this kind of thing all
the time, but my hope is that you might be at your home in
Colorado in the summer and the idea might strike you as just off
the wall enough to wander over to Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder
on July 22nd and join us.
Some of the parallels of Corinne’s and my life with yours
are kind of fun and intriguing. I was born in Chicago and raised
in the northern suburbs. (I know you’re from the Peoria
area). Corinne was born 8 days after you on August 21st,
’51, and I was born 3½ weeks after her on Sept. 14th. We
drove out from Chicago to get married on Flagstaff in ’73,
then moved to Boulder to stay in ’74 and lived there for 11
years, till ’85. Both our sons were born there. I drove a
school bus for Boulder Valley Schools and had one of the mountain
routes that went past your place in Pinebrook Hills. If I
remember right, you were on Wild Horse Circle.
I also worked in radio during those years, a weekender at a
little station in Leadville, doing a progressive jazz show and a
progressive rock show back to back on Saturday nights back in
’75 through ’77. I used to drive through snowstorms
over the Tunnel and Fremont Pass to do air shifts on Saturday and
Sunday, then back down to Boulder to drive for the School
District during the week. I think I may have been the first (or
among the first) in Colorado to play Captured Angel, Nether Lands
and Twin Sons on the air, even before KBCO in Boulder.
Over time, Corinne was a graphic artist in Boulder, became a
flight attendant for United Airlines, and went back to school at
39 to get her Bachelor’s, then Master’s in Social Work.
She’s now a Drug/Alcohol Counselor here in Juneau. I ended
up as Transportation Director for Cheyenne WY School District,
then Colorado Springs from (’86-’90). Those two cities
were a real culture shock for a couple of Boulder flower
children. As much as people like to beat up on Boulder for being
too yuppified, it’s still a place that retains the sense of
being able to be whoever you want to be without having to defend
your choices. Cheyenne and the Springs were so ragingly
conservative that it was really uncomfortable to try to raise
children with the core values that we hoped they’d inherit,
such as valuing the differences between people, protection of the
environment, freedom of people to make their own choices, etc.
There was no need to worry--the kids grew up to be rebels like
their folks. We’ve taken them to the native lands of
Arizona, to Lakota and Cheyenne lands in Montana and the Dakotas,
to Inuit villages on the Arctic Ocean and to every place in
between to learn about and celebrate all people’s cultures
and differences. I also worked as a volunteer at Wolf Haven
International, a wolf sanctuary and education center for wolf
ecology just outside Olympia, Washington and the boys have
inherited our love of the wilderness. Corinne and I now live in
Alaska, where she is a Social Worker (Addictions Counselor) and
I'm the State Director of School Transportation for the Alaska
Department of Education.
I’ve played guitars for over 30 years and play much of your
music on 6- and 12-string. I have a Martin D-28 six-string that I
bought in ’72 and a D-20 twelve (modeled after the D-18)
that I bought in ‘74. I supported myself playing and singing
for a year or two back in '70 and '71; my inspirations were
Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell (although trying to figure out
her tunings by ear made it a lot tougher to play her songs than
Gordon's). Our older son, Luke, who is 20, has turned into a
wonderful guitarist himself and plays some of your pieces, mostly
writes his own material now; the younger, Casey, at 18½, is a
really good pianist, who learned to play your “Paris
Nocturne” from a sheet music book of your 1st six albums I
picked up several years ago. The first concert they ever went to
was your “For the Earth” concert in June of ’89 (I
think?) at Red Rocks with us. Corinne and I have seen you several
times over the years, most recently at Sokol Blosser Winery in
McMinnville, Oregon last summer with the guys. Corinne was
blowing bubbles and I was the guy who kept giving you standing
O’s in about the 5th row to your right, on the off chance
you remember.
All that being said, the reason we would like to invite you to
our 25th anniversary is that you’ve felt like a part of the
family for all those years. We raised our children to your music;
your voice, the paintings that your songs create and your depth
of feeling have gotten us through some rough times. I know every
piece you’ve done and can play and sing many of them (all
harmony lines). Your music has been in turn healing, uplifting,
poignant and has touched our hearts and souls. I’ll be
playing several of your pieces at the celebration with backing by
Luke on guitar, such as “Face of Love”, “Make Love
Stay”, “Don’t Lose Heart” and
“Forefathers” along with Michael Johnson’s
“Give Me Wings”, and Timothy B. Schmidt’s
“Love Will Keep Us Alive”.
Whether you ever get to see this (let alone able to make it to
the celebration), you will always have a place in our heart as a
friend and a place in our home as one who has contributed to a
very special love of music for all of us. May you always find
peace and a sense of fulfillment. If you ever feel the need to
question whether your music was really important or really
mattered to others, you need look no further than our family.
Your music has had a profound effect on our lives; as I read the
letters on the website, I see that you have touched so many
others as well. I wish you a sense of joy and satisfaction from
the fact that many of those who love your music today are second
and third generation, children and even grandchildren (Can you
believe that?) of your original following.
Whether you’re able to make it to the anniversary or not,
whether you see this or not, I wish you all the best throughout
your life. If you ever feel the desire to visit Alaska, please
consider including Juneau (a relatively small town, but it has a
campus of the University of Alaska here. Michael Johnson, also
one of our old favorites whom we’ve listened to for over 20
years, played a very small place here and Corinne and I sat about
12 feet away a few months ago.) If you need a place to stay, you
will always be welcome with us. We have a little A-frame, kind of
like what you’d expect to see in Nederland or Ward or Ouray,
perched on a bluff overlooking the Inside Passage about 20 miles
north of Juneau. We have a guest room and I think you’d love
the sense of wilderness. Bears play in our driveway, we can watch
whales from the windows and deck and there are wolf packs on the
nearby ridges and bays.
Take care, Dan, and thank you again for sharing your music with
us for all these years.
Ever On,
Joe Precourt
(907) 790-5522; wk 465-8687
P.O. Box 22334
Juneau, Alaska 99802-2334
April 26, 1998
Hey Dan,
To me, there is no greater songwriter or artist than you are. I
am 37 and have been listening to your music since I was about 15
and although every album has been superb, "Souveniers"
has to be my favorite of all time. The musical arrangements and
sheer artistry echoes through each and every song. I would one
day like to meet and talk with you. I have my first CD coming out
in a couple of weeks that I recording in Nashville. It was a
fantastic experience and best of all the majority of my music was
influenced by you. I would be more than happy to send you a copy
just to get your feedback. It would mean the world to me. Maybe,
you could even give me some good advice on bettering my
songwriting capabilities. My name is Mark Leland, and the title
of my CD is "Through the Heart". MY email is Songwriter@centuryinter.net.
Again I would like to thank you for all these great years of
music from "Homefree" to your latest box set
collection. The music has touched my
soul forever. God bless.
MARK LELAND
April 20, 1998
Dan, why won't you include Pittsburgh on your tour schedule? I
know alot of people here love your music.....will you consider
it?
Denise in
Pittsburgh
April 4, 1998
Dear Dan,
I am so excited about the April 19th concert in Houston! I can't
wait! It's been a while since you've had a solo accoustic concert
here.
As if that's not enough, we plan on seeing you at the Colorado
WestFest this year! What a great time it's going to be! I
recently got the "Portrait" 4-cd boxed set. Wow! I've
really missed some beautiful music!
Any comments or thoughts can be e-mailed to GCEqpt@aol.com
See you soon,
Sandy
This page was last modified Wednesday, October 26, 2005.
