Glenn Frey, with his wife Cindy, in 2001. (Getty)
Legendary musician and Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey has died at the age of 67 in New York City, the band says.
He died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia, which he battled courageously for the past few months.
Frey is survived by his wife, Cindy Millican Frey, 50, and their three children.
In a statement on the Eagles Facebook page, the family said, “The Frey family would like to thank everyone who joined Glenn to fight this fight and hoped and prayed for his recovery. Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide.”
Here’s what you need to know about his wife and their family:
1. Frey Met Millican, a Dance Choreographer, at a Video Shoot & They Married in 1990
Glenn Frey, far right, and his wife, Cindy, second right, with Tom Freston, chairman and CEO of MTV Networks Worldwide, and his wife, Cathy. (Getty)
Frey and Millican were married in 1990.
Cindy Frey was a dancer and dance choreographer and they met during one of Glenn Frey’s video shoots, according to a 1994 article in People.
Frey was previously married to Janie Beggs from 1983 to 1988.
2. They Have 2 Sons & a Daughter
Glenn Frey performs on stage during the After Hours Tour opening night at Town Hall on May 9, 2012 in New York City. (Getty)
Glenn and Cindy Frey, 50, have three children together, two sons and a daughter, named Taylor, Deacon and Otis.
Taylor, their 24-year-old daughter, is the oldest child. Deacon is 22 and Otis is 13.
3. Cindy Frey Has Lupus & Has Raised Money to Fight the Disease
Cindy Frey speaks at the 10th Annual Lupus LA Orange Ball on May 6, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty)
Cindy Frey has lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues and organs, causing inflammation that can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells and lungs.
She and Glenn have raised money for the charity Lupus LA, according to the charity’s newsletter.
Her physician, Dr. Daniel Wallace, is the founder of the charity. “I am so grateful to Dan for helping me to navigate through this devastating illness,” she said in 2013.
She partnered with the fashion designer Donna Karan that year to host trunk shows and events in Los Angeles to raise money for Lupus LA. Glenn Frey also played benefit concerts for the charity.
“Lupus has been raging through our population of young women, cutting short the opportunity for them to reach their full potential,” Cindy Frey said. “Often it targets the very driven woman who hsa so much to give. Lupus LA has been a front-runner in the fight to cure this disease by raising funds for research and supporting patients.”
According to the Lupus LA article, Cindy Frey was also involved in a charity call “A Grassroots Aspen Experience,” in Colorado, which brought at risk youth from the United States to Aspen. She served on its board for five years.
4. She Was a Dancer in the Movie ‘The Running Man’ & Is Friends With Kris Jenner
Cindy Frey appeared as a dancer in the 1987 movie “The Running Man.”
The science fiction film, based on a Stephen King novel, starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Frey is friends with Kris Jenner, who has posted several photos on her Instagram page of the two of them traveling together and at events, including an Eagles concert.
5. Frey Says He Put His Family Before His Music
After Frey married and had children, he put his solo music career on hold and only got back into the business when the Eagles reunited in 1994. He said during a 2012 interview that family remained his main focus.
“I started a family and The Eagles got back together. And so those two things have really sort of been my emphasis – family first. And then with The Eagles being back together, we’ve done quite a bit since we got back together. We did [the live album] ‘Hell Freezes Over,’ we toured the world a few times, we did a [the album] ‘Alive in Melbourne.’ And then we did a double CD that we released in 2007, ‘Long Road Out of Eden.” So I was pretty busy with the Eagles and particularly, happily busy with my family,” Frey told the Lehigh Valley Music blog.
Frey told the Dan Patrick Show in 2014 that there are similarities to being in a band and being married, though he said marriage is harder.
“There’s give and take, there’s forgiveness, there’s understanding, acceptance,” Frey said during the radio interview. “I think that’s very similar. The band thing is something that happens when it happens and is done when it’s done. You’re married, you have kids, that’s going on 24/7, for the rest of your life.”
