Born in Arkansas as the seventh of twelve children, Campbell went to L.A. in 1960 to seek fame and fortune. Soon he would develop a reputation as an outstanding session guitar player and became a member in good standing of the Wrecking Crew cadre of studio musicians. In 1964, Campbell would become a member of the Beach Boys' touring group.
Stardom would come in 1967 with his cover of John Hartford's "Gentle on My Mind". This would be followed by such country standards as "By The Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston". By the end of the decade, he co-starred with John Wayne in True Grit and would host The Glenn Campbell Good Time Hour on CBS. Campbell's biggest hit came in 1975 when "Rhinestone Cowboy" topped both the country and pop charts.
I first heard "Rhinestone Cowboy" on a TeeVee Records compilation album called Knockout when I was five years old. It was my first real exposure to country music. So when Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011, I vowed to see him in concert and made good on that vow in February 2012.
By most accounts, Campbell was very conservative in his outlook and when he met Jimmy Webb he asked him when he would get a haircut. Yet Campbell and Webb found a way to marry tradition and counterculture and the result was music everyone could love.
I leave you with a what sounds like a very unCampbell like tune. In 1967, Gary Usher created a studio group called Sagittarius and recorded a psychedelic album called Present Tense. The highlight of the record is "My World Fell Down" on which an uncredited Campbell sings. R.I.P.
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