I was saddened to learn early Monday about the death of Dan Fogelberg, one of the great singer/songwriters of the 1970s and early 1980s. He was taken by cancer on Sunday at the far-too-young age of 56.

Fogelberg often was overshadowed by the bigger names in his genre -- notably James Taylor and Jackson Browne -- but he was every bit as gifted, and I was proud to call myself a fan.

His guitar playing simple, his vocal style understated, Fogelberg nonetheless touched the hearts and souls of countless listeners with such wonderful songs as "Same Auld Lang Syne," "Make Love Stay," "Longer," "Part of the Plan" and "Leader of the Band" (a YouTube clip of which appears below).

I only saw Fogelberg in concert once -- in 1991 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center -- and perhaps only now do I realize now how lucky I was to have had the experience, and how much emptier the music world is today because of his passing.

Rest in peace, Dan.