Dan Fogelberg Dies at 56

Dan Fogelberg, one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the '70s and '80s, died Sunday at home in Maine at age 56. He had battled advanced prostate cancer since being diagnosed in 2004.His death was announced Sunday in a statement released by his family through the firm Scoop Marketing and also posted on his Web site.

Fogelberg was a key component of the golden age of the confessional singer/songwriter, joining the likes of James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne and more in turning pop music's focus inward after the '60s' explosion of social commentary. He had started as a rocker in bands around his hometown of Peoria, Ill., but began performing solo while attending the University of Illinois.

His best-remembered songs include his biggest hit, the affecting ballad Longer; The Power of Gold, a collaboration with flautist Tim Weisberg; Leader of the Band, a tribute to his bandleader father, Lawrence; and the evergreen seasonal standard Same Old Lang Syne, which originally hit the top 10 in 1980.In later years, he ventured into new musical territory, recording a successful pure-bluegrass album, High Country Snows, in 1985, and tackling broader political, spiritual and environmental issues in his songs. His last album, Full Circle, was released in 2003.