(Photo by Stina Sieg - KJZZ)

A few dozen people showed up Tuesday night at Sittin' On The Corner Park in Winslow to honor the former Eagles member Glenn Frey.

(Photo by Stina Sieg - KJZZ)

The Eagles mentioned Winslow more than 40 years ago in the song "Take It Easy."

There’s a lot to celebrate about the late musician Glenn Frey, one of the founding members of the Eagles. Since his death Monday, people around the world have been talking about his guitar skills and voice.

But in a small Arizona town, Frey is most beloved for a few lyrics in a song he co-wrote back in 1972, "Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona..."

Those lyrics are just a tiny part of the Eagles' first big hit, “Take It Easy,” but to folks who live in Winslow on Route 66, those words are huge. Winslow native Diane Patterson remembered the first time she heard them.

"This is Denver Coliseum. And they’re like, ‘I was standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona,’ and like a thousand Bics were flashing, and I was like, ‘My God, that’s where I’m from!’ I was screaming it. It just blew me away," Patterson said.

Patterson didn’t even know who the Eagles were then, but said she loved them instantly. It’s a love that’s filtered down to her daughter, Shayna Ward. That’s why the women joined a few dozen others Tuesday night at a joyous vigil for Frey held at a city park in Winslow called — what else — Standin’ On The Corner Park.

"It is heartbreaking. But it’s brought so many people together. It really touches my heart, you know," Ward said.

Winslow has been a destination for many Eagles fans for more than 40 years. As a way to say thank you, the song is commemorated here with a bronze statue of a smiling, guitar-wheeling guy. Since Frey's death, the statue has been covered in flowers, with a collection of candles, cards and children’s drawings growing underneath him. All this gratitude is likely not just about the music, but how far Winslow has come in recent years.

Bob Hall, the CEO for the area chamber of commerce, says this town was once thriving, but then a highway bypass was built around it.

"You know, there was just no traffic whatsoever. So, we were in a sort of crisis, if you will," Hall said.

Eagles fans would still make the pilgrimage here, but they’d basically snap photos at various corners in town, and leave. Then, in the late ’90s, Hall and others raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to build their city park. Hall said they even got a donation from the Eagles.

"All of a sudden, we saw an increase in tourism. We were already seeing a little bit, but there wasn’t any shops are anything. All the little stores you see around here now have come since the park was created," Hall said.

Now, there’s a small business hub near this spot, complete with a diner, remodeled historic hotel, and a Standin’ On the Corner gift shop. Of course, some of this may have happened without the song. But many people in town really do think that capitalizing on those well-known lyrics was the beginning of things starting to turn around here in Winslow.

Krista Davis, visiting with friends from Canada, wouldn’t know about all that history. But, as she takes a break from dancing, it’s clear they all believe in the power of the Eagles.

"Like so many other bands of that era, they shaped music. They shaped culture. They shaped young lives. For sure, for us they did," Davis said.

This was their growing up music, she said, before starting to sway to the tunes again.

Within minutes, Davis and her buddies are holding hands with Winslow residents around the glowing memorial — and it’s such a fine sight to see.