This post is about the Leader of the Band. Yes, I have visited with the leader of the Ohio State Band. But this leader is someone else.

I was saddened yesterday to learn of the death of singer-songwritter Dan Fogelberg. His song “Leader of the Band” had special meaning to me. “Leader of the Band” was a tribute he wrote of his father and it always reminded me of my father. Although my dad couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, he was in every other way the man Dan Fogelberg immortalized. Dec. 24th will mark 26 years since my father collapsed of a heart attack before our very eyes on Christmas Eve. As I heard Dan’s song on the radio yesterday, it hastened the time when I will do what I do sometime every year at this time, and that is go off someplace by myself and have a good cry.

As I do, the thought of Dan and his song will come to me:

I thank you for your music and the stories of the road, I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go, I, thank you for the kindness and the times that you got tough, and pap I don’t think I said I love you near enough.....My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man, I am a living legacy of the leader of the band.