Leader of the Band

"Leader of the Band" is a song written by Dan Fogelberg from his 1981 album The Innocent Age. The song was written as a tribute to his father, Lawrence Fogelberg, a musician and the leader of a band, who was still alive at the time the song was released.[1] Lawrence died in August 1982, but not before this hit song made him a celebrity with numerous media interviews interested in him as its inspiration.[2]

"Leader of the Band"
Single by Dan Fogelberg
from the album The Innocent Age
B-side"Times Like These"
Released1981
GenreFolk rock
Length4:21
LabelFull Moon/Epic
Songwriter(s)Dan Fogelberg
Producer(s)Dan Fogelberg, Marty Lewis
Dan Fogelberg singles chronology
"Hard to Say"
(1981)		 "Leader of the Band"
(1981)		 "Run for the Roses"
(1981)

Released as a single at the end of 1981, the tribute peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[3] in March 1982.[4] It became Fogelberg's second #1 song on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, following his 1980 hit "Longer".[5]

Other versions

Lucie Arnaz has performed a version of the song as a tribute to her late father, Desi Arnaz.

Regine Velasquez recorded this song in 2008 for her album Low Key, and she also performed the song to her father, Gerardo Velasquez, he was still alive.

Zac Brown recorded this song in 2017 as part of a tribute album to Dan Fogelberg. He also dedicated it to his father.

Charts
Chart (1982) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 9
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[7] 1
Year-end chart (1982)Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[8] 35
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See also
  • List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1982 (U.S.)

References
  1. "Dan Fogelberg Official Website Frequently Asked Questions (As answered in 2003)". 2003. Retrieved 2010-07-11. "Leader of the Band" was written for my father Lawrence Fogelberg who was a musician, educator, and band leader. I was so gratified that I was able to give him that song before he passed on.
  2. Fogelberg, Dan. "FAQ's". danfogelberg.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1996)
  4. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1982-03-06). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  5. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  6. "Dan Fogelberg Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  7. "Dan Fogelberg Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  8. "Talent in Action : Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 94 no. 51. December 25, 1982. p. TIA-20.
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