Glenn Frey was a member of the Eagles.
Glenn Lewis Frey ( [ fraɪ ] November 6 , 1948 -- January 18 , 2016 ) was an American singer , songwriter and actor , best known as a founding member of the rock band Eagles . Frey was the lead singer and frontman for the Eagles , roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley , with whom he wrote most of the Eagles ' material . After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980 , Frey embarked on a successful solo career . Consolidating his solo recordings and those with the Eagles , Frey had 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 .