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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCAMPBELL, Glen(b Glen Travis Campbell, 22 April 1936, Delight, AR; d 8 August 2017, Nashville TN) Country/pop guitar, singer; hugely successful late '60s-70s (his Greatest Hits LP '71 was in the UK charts for 113 weeks). He started out in his Uncle Bill's Western Band '50; formed group Western Wranglers, played around Albuquerque NM, Phoenix, AZ.; went to Los Angeles '58 and became a top session player, recording with with Nat Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, the Mamas and Papas, the Righteous Brothers, Merle Haggard, etc. He recorded for Crest '61 (minor hit 'Turn Around Look At Me'); signed to Capitol '62, had a country hit with 'Kentucky Means Paradise'. He made several LPs spotlighting both guitar and singing without much success; deputized for Brian Wilson in the Beach Boys '65 (Good Vibrations); then broke through '67 with John Hartford song 'Gentle On My Mind' (a country hit, made the pop chart next year), Jim Webb's 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix' (no. 26 pop, no. 2 country); won Grammys including 'Phoenix' single, Gentle On My Mind LP; named Entertainer of the Year by CMA '68. Once he struck a vein of good songs, his laid-back sincerity crossed over regularly: 'I Wanna Live', 'Galveston', 'Wichita Lineman' (the last two by Webb), many others: twelve gold, seven platinum LPs '67-72. Appeared in films True Grit '69, Norwood '70; had his own hit TV series early '70s, and his own golf tournament, the Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open. More hits through '70s included 'Rhinestone Cowboy', 'Southern Nights', 'Country Boy'; some LPs went back to country roots: I Remember Hank Williams '74, Arkansas '76, Highwayman '80. His affair with Tanya Tucker made the news; they toured and recorded together, split up '81. He also made duet records with Anne Murray, Bobbie Gentry, Rita Coolidge. On the Atlantic label '82-6 with albums Letter To Home, Old Home Town and Just A Matter Of Time. To MCA; Still Within The Sound Of My Voice '88 was described as straight country (top ten hits included duet 'The Hand That Rocks The Cradle' with Steve Wariner); back to Capitol for albums including Walkin' In The Sun '90, Unconditional Love '91. Other LPs/CDs included Southern Nights, Rhinestone Cowboy, and compilations; also gospel album No More Nights '85 on Word, CD Favorite Hymns on Ward/Epic; Show Me Your Way on New Haven and Somebody Like That on Liberty. Meet Glenn Campbell 2008 covered songs by U2, Tom Petty, Green Day and Foo Fighters, and his delivery, gentle on your mind, probably made him some new fans. His new album in 2011 was Ghost On The Canvas on Surfdog; he and producer Julian Raymond wrote five new songs, sitting opposite each other on a sofa with acoustic guitars. His people said it will be his last album, because he was suffering from Alzheimer's, but his playing and singing aren't affected yet; he planned touring until 2012 backed by several of his children, and said that if he finds some new songs he likes, he won't be finished yet. But the cruel disease caught up with him. |