Glen Travis Campbell was born on April 22, 1936, on the family’s farm in Delight, Arkansas. The son of Wesley, a sharecropper and home maker mother Carrie Dell, Campbell was on of 12 children. They didn’t have a lot of money, quite impoverished in fact, so all the children pitched in picking cotton.
From a very young age, Campbell took a shine to music and showed great promise. His father encouraged this, by purchasing him a $5 Sears and Roebuck guitar. Within a few years, he had mastered it. The self taught musician was appearing as a regular paid act, performing guest spots at local radio stations.
Now a talented guitarist, by the age of 16, Campbell dropped out of high school and headed west to pursue his dream of becoming a musician. He played with bands in Wyoming’s bars and roadhouses. In 1954, he joined the “Sandia Mountain Boys”, a band founded by his uncle Dick Bills, before forming “Glen Campbell and the Western Wranglers” four years later.
By the end of the 50’s Campbell had moved to Los Angeles, where he took a job at the American Music Company and became a renown session player and one of the finest guitarists in Hollywood.
At the age of 24, Campbell turned to writing his own material and wrote and recorded “Turn around, look at me”. He had modest success, however it did catch the attention of the Capital Record label and he was signed to a contract. From this moment forward, Campbell often was given the opportunity to perform with many A-listed artists of that time including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, The Monkees and The Righteous Brothers to name a few.
Ever in demand, Campbell was invited to tour with the Beach Boys. He took on the arduous task of replacing Brian Wilson, however after two years, he returned to session work and recording his own songs.
Capital Records were seriously promoting Campbell as an artist in his own right, and his breakthrough came with his own version of John Hartford’s “Gentle on my mind” which won a Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording of 1967.
Some of Campbell’s finest work was recorded during the late 60’s, most notably his superb trilogy of hits written by Jimmy Webb, “By the time I get to Phoenix”, “Wichita Lineman”, and “Galveston”. Campbell was on a roll.
Campbell’s easy nature, humor and musical skill that charmed audiences, also impressed a CBS executive, who offered him his own primetime variety show, debuting in 1969. The “Glen Campbell Good Time Hour” was a combination of musical acts, comedy segments and glamorous guest stars. The show was produced under the “Smothers Brothers” production label and became a number 1 hit in both the US and UK making Campbell and international star. Although the television series was cancelled in 1972, during that time, his love for television work led him to take a risk and try his hand at acting alongside John Wayne in “True Grit”.
He then recorded some duets with the ever so popular country singer Bobbie Gentry. He even did a revival of the Everly Brothers “All I have to do is dream” which proved a worldwide smash hit. Some of the duets with country singer Bobbie Gentry, included a revival of the Everly Brothers’ ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’, which proved a worldwide smash hit. Further hits followed, including ‘Honey Come Back’, ‘It’s Only Make Believe’ and ‘Dream Baby’. There was a second movie appearance in Norwood (1970) and another duet album, this time with Anne Murray.
Things slowed down a tad for Campbell after this, but by mid 70’s he found a second wind with the release of “Rhinestone Cowboy” another #1 hit in the US. Two years later, he repeated this success with the cover version of Allen Toussant’s “Southern Nights”. Many hit compilations followed, along with the requests from Rita Coolidge and Tanya Tucker to sing duets. By the late 70’s he had become a C & W institution, regularly releasing albums and appearing on television.
Campbell and Tucker began a relationship, however his cocaine and alcohol abuse began to take its toll on his career. The couples explosive relationship and record sales slump, made him a prime candidate for the gossip pages of every tabloid. After a few years touring, Campbell left Los Angeles, and successfully overcame his alcohol and drug habit through becoming a born again Christian.
The 90’s saw Campbell concentrating more on live work, with the regular gig at his Goodtime Theater in Branson, Missouri. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Theatre opened in 1994 staring Glen along with his “Goodtime Band”, daughter Debbie Campbell, and Matthew Dickens Dancers, and comedian ventriloquist Jim Barber. He also released a series of gospel albums and also published his autobiography.
Sadly for Campbell, 2003 his life was about to fall apart. He was arrested in November on a DUI and hit and run charge. According to Arizona police, the then 67 year old performer was nabbed shortly after plowing his BMW into another auto at a Phoenix intersection. He left the accident scene, but was arrested at this nearby home, where police smelt alcohol on his breath and noted that Campbell looked intoxicated. After he was booked into a Maricopa Country lockup, Campbell kneed a sergeant in the thigh, which also added an aggravated assault on a police officer charge. Campbell pleaded guilty to extreme Dui and leaving the scene of an accident, and was sentenced to 10 nights jail.
In 2005, Campbell was inducted into the “Country Music Hall of Fame”.
Campbell has been married four times and is the father of five sons and three daughters all born within 1956 and 1986.
Campbell first married Diane Kirk, in 1955. Together they had a daughter Debbie, and divorced in 1959. After divorcing Kirk, he married Billie Jean Nunley and had Kelli, Travis and Kane. They divorced in 1975. Shortly after he had an affair with the then married Sarah Barg in 1976. Sarah was married to singer Mac Davis. They had one child together, Dillon and divorced in 1980, only three weeks after Dillons birth. During 1980 and 1981, he had a very highly publicized relationship with 21 year old country singer, Tanya Tucker.
After many failed relationships, Campbell seems to have found longevity with Kimberly Woollen who he met on a blind date in 1981. Woollen was a Radio City Music Hall Rockette at the time of meeting. Together they have three children Cal, Shannon and Ashley. Campbell’s children often join him on stage as part of his touring band.
In 2011, Glen Campbell announced that he had been diagnosed with the debilitating Alzheimer’s disease, and he prepared to embark on a farewell tour and release a final album with songs recorded during the “Ghost on Canvas” sessions. In the two years since the announcement, Campbell required constant care, had a problem speaking and it was starting to take its toll on his mental well being. Campbell’s wife says that since he went public, his illness has had a turn for the worst as he then suffered side affects such as anxiety, agitation and severe depression. He no longer remembered the words to the many songs he performed for decades and often at times, cant even recall his own children. His daughter Ashley said, that the disease was robbing her father of the one thing he does best.
Glen took his final bow on stage at his “Goodbye” tour in Napa.
Music superstar Glen Campbell recently passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 81. After experiencing short-term memory loss for several years; the disease continued to rob him of his memories until his death.
The “Rhinestone Cowboy” who for the best part of four decades entertained millions of fans, has left behind a country music legacy, that will stand the test of time and who has run the gamut of American Country Music, and rarely faltered.
