I lost a friend earlier this week.

I did not know Dan Fogelberg personally, but I considered him a musical friend.

I had the opportunity to interview him a few times, and each time he was warm, friendly and forthcoming.

Fogelberg died Sunday after a long battle with prostate cancer. And when I heard about his passing, I immediately pulled out his CD catalog and listened.

My first memory of hearing Fogelberg's gentle tenor was back in 1979. I was in my bedroom with a transistor radio, and the song "Longer" began playing.

His lyrics and melodies spoke to me and inspired me to write my own poetry and songs. I decided he was going to be my favorite singer/songwriter. I didn't have the greens to get the album "Phoenix," but I would always call the radio station and request the song.

Then I also tracked the "Casey Kasem's American Top 40" on Saturdays. I would listen to the program and make my own music charts. Throughout the years, I heard many Fogelberg ballads, including "Heart Hotels," "Same Old Lang Syne" (my favorite), "Leader of the Band," "Language of Love," "Hard to Say," "Run for the Roses" (my wife's favorite), "Missing You" and "Make Love Stay."

What I liked about Fogelberg's songcraft was the fact that he didn't rely on gimmicks or vast productions to get his music heard. He wrote from the heart, and he sang from the heart.

My first interview with Fogelberg was in 1997, a few months after I became music critic for the Deseret News. He talked about cutting his hand and fearing that he'd never play music again. We talked about his love for classical music and how the lead piano riff of "Same Old Lang Syne" was based on Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture."

"That song actually started out as a joke," he told me. "I added lyrics to it and was going to play it for the guys (in the band) during the recording sessions. But as I worked with it, the song evolved into something very poignant and striking. It's actually one of my favorite songs I've ever written."

I next interviewed him in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

"It seems like every couple of years we catch up," he told me the last time we spoke.

I wasn't able to see him play that year. I was out of town.

However, I did see the show in 2000 at the Sandy Amphitheater. He played solo on guitar and piano. And, to my delight, he played the first song of his first album, "To the Morning."

Back in 1999, Fogelberg created a Christmas album, "The First Christmas Morning." The CD features a collection of original songs — "At Christmas Time," "The First Christmas Morning," "Yule Dance" and "Christ the King" — as well as classics "This Endris Night," "I Saw Three Ships," "In the Bleak Midwinter," "What Child Is This," "O, Tannenbaum" and "We Three Kings."

The album is recorded in a baroque-classical style.

My family has listened to this album annually since its release. This year we listen and remember.

Be at peace, my friend.

---

E-mail: scott@desnews.com