Glen Campbell
Encyclopedia
Glen Travis Campbell (born April 22, 1936) is an American country music
singer, guitarist
, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show
called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
on CBS
television.
During his 50 years in show business, Campbell has released more than 70 albums. He has sold 45 million records and racked up 12 RIAA Gold albums, 4 Platinum albums and 1 Double-Platinum album. Of his 74 trips up the country charts, 27 landed in the Top 10.
Campbell's hits include John Hartford
's "Gentle on My Mind", Jimmy Webb
's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix
", "Wichita Lineman
" and "Galveston
", Larry Weiss's "Rhinestone Cowboy
" and Allen Toussaint
's "Southern Nights
".
Campbell made history by winning four Grammys in both country and pop categories in 1967. For "Gentle on My Mind" he received two awards in country & western, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" did the same in pop. He owns trophies for Male Vocalist of the Year from both the Country Music Association
(CMA) and the Academy of Country Music
(ACM), and took the CMA's top honor as 1968 Entertainer of the Year. In 1969 Campbell was hand picked by actor John Wayne
to play alongside him in the film True Grit, which gave Campbell a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer. Campbell sang the title song which was nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2005, Campbell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
in Pike County, Arkansas
, in a town called Billstown, then a community of fewer than 100 residents. He started playing guitar as a youth without learning to read music. He credits his Uncle Boo for teaching him the guitar.
At 16, Campbell hocked his guitar and went to live with his Uncle Dick Bills in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Campbell joined his uncle’s band known as Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys and also appeared on his uncle’s radio show. A few years later, Campbell formed his own band, the Western Wranglers.
In 1958, Campbell moved to Los Angeles to become a session musician
. He was part of the 1959 line-up of the group the Champs
, famous for their instrumental "Tequila". Campbell was in great demand as a session musician in the 1960s. He was part of the studio musicians clique known as "the Wrecking Crew
", many of whom went from session to session together as the same group. In addition to Campbell, Hal Blaine
on drums, Tommy Tedesco
on guitar, Leon Russell
on piano, Carol Kaye
on bass guitar, Al Casey
on guitar were part of this group of session musicians that defined many pop and rock recordings of the era. They were also heard on Phil Spector
's "Wall of Sound
" recordings in the early 1960s.
He was a touring member of the Beach Boys
, filling in for Brian Wilson
in 1964 and 1965. He played guitar on the group's Pet Sounds
album, among other recordings. On tour, he played bass guitar and sang falsetto harmonies.
He can be seen briefly in the 1965 film Baby the Rain Must Fall
playing guitar in support of Steve McQueen.
Campbell was also the uncredited lead vocalist on "My World Fell Down" by the psychedelic rock act Sagittarius
, which became a minor hit in 1967.
". "Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry" and "Kentucky Means Paradise" (cut with a bluegrass group called the Green River Boys) were similarly popular within only a small section of the country audience.
In 1962, Campbell signed with Capitol Records
and released two instrumental albums and a number of vocal albums during his first five years with the label. However, despite releasing singles written by Brian Wilson ("Guess I'm Dumb" in 1965) and Buffy Sainte-Marie
the same year ("The Universal Soldier"), Campbell did not achieve major success as a solo artist. It was rumored that Capitol was considering dropping him from the label in 1966 when he was teamed with producer Al DeLory, and together they collaborated on 1967's Dylanesque
"Gentle on My Mind", written by John Hartford
.
"Gentle on My Mind" was an overnight success. It was followed by the even bigger triumph of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix
" later in 1967, and "I Wanna Live
" and "Wichita Lineman
" in 1968. The 1969 song “True Grit” by composer Elmer Bernstein and lyricist Don Black, and sung by Campbell, who co-starred in the movie, received nominations for both the Academy Award for Best Song and the Golden Globe.
Campbell won two Grammy Awards for his performances on "Gentle on My Mind" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix".
His biggest hits in the late 1960s were the songs written by Jimmy Webb
: "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman
", "Where's the Playground, Susie?" and "Galveston
". An album of mainly Webb-penned compositions, Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb
, was released in 1974, but it produced no hit single records.
"Wichita Lineman" was selected as one of the greatest songs of the 20th century by Mojo
magazine in 1997 and by Blender
in 2001.
Comedy Hour variety show, Campbell hosted his own weekly variety show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
, from January 1969 through June 1972. At the height of his popularity, a 1970 biography by Freda Kramer, The Glen Campbell Story, was published.
With Campbell's session-work connections, he hosted major names in music on his show including: the Beatles
(on film), David Gates
and Bread
, the Monkees
, Neil Diamond
, Linda Ronstadt
, Johnny Cash
, Merle Haggard
, Willie Nelson
, Waylon Jennings
, Roger Miller
and helped launch the careers of Anne Murray
, Mel Tillis
and Jerry Reed
who were regulars on his Goodtime Hour program.
In 1973, banjo
player Carl Jackson
joined Campbell's band for 12 years and went on to win two Grammy awards.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Campbell released a long series of singles and appeared in the movies True Grit (1969) with John Wayne
and Kim Darby
and Norwood
(1970) with Kim Darby and Joe Namath
.
In 1971, Campbell took the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
on the road for two nights to The Muny
in Forest Park, (the largest and oldest outdoor theatre in America) in St. Louis, Missouri
.
After the cancellation of his CBS
series in 1972, Campbell remained a regular on network television. He co-starred in a made-for-television movie, Strange Homecoming, with Robert Culp
and up-and-coming teen idol, Leif Garrett
. He hosted a number of television specials, including 1976's Down Home, Down Under with Olivia Newton-John
. He co-hosted the American Music Awards
from 1976–78 and headlined the 1979 NBC
special, Glen Campbell: Back To Basics with guest-stars Seals and Crofts
and Brenda Lee
. He was a guest on many network talk and variety shows, including: Donny & Marie
, the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
, Cher
, the Redd Foxx
Comedy Hour, Merv Griffin
, The Midnight Special
with Wolfman Jack
, DINAH!
, Evening at Pops
with Arthur Fiedler
and the Mike Douglas Show
. From 1982–83 he hosted a 30-minute syndicated music show on NBC, the Glen Campbell Music Show
.
In the mid-1970s, he had more big hits with "Rhinestone Cowboy
", "Southern Nights
" (both U.S. #1 hits), "Sunflower" (U.S. #39) (written by Neil Diamond
), and "Country Boy
(You Got Your Feet in L.A.)." (U.S. #11).
"Rhinestone Cowboy" was Campbell's largest-selling single, initially with over 2 million copies sold in a matter of months. Campbell had heard the songwriter Larry Weiss' version while on tour of Australia in 1974 and felt it was the perfect song for him to record. It was included in the Jaws
movie parody song "Mr. Jaws", which also reached the top 10 in 1975. "Rhinestone Cowboy" continues to be used in movie soundtracks and TV shows, including "Desperate Housewives
", Daddy Day Care
, and High School High
. It was the inspiration for the 1984 Dolly Parton
/Sylvester Stallone
movie Rhinestone
.
Campbell made a techno/pop version of the song in 2002 with UK artists Rikki & Daz
and went to the top 10 in the UK with the dance version and related music video.
"Southern Nights," by Allen Toussaint
, his other #1 pop-rock-country crossover
hit, was generated with the help of Jimmy Webb
, who turned Campbell onto the song, and Jerry Reed
, who inspired the famous guitar lick introduction to the song, which was the most-played jukebox
number of 1977.
From 1971
to 1983
, Campbell was the celebrity host of the Los Angeles Open, an annual professional golf
tournament on the PGA Tour
.
movie Any Which Way You Can
, for which he recorded the title song.
In 1999 Campbell was featured on VH-1's Behind the Music
, A&E Network
's Biography
in 2001, and on a number of CMT
programs. Campbell ranked 29th on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003.
He is also credited with giving Alan Jackson
his first big break. Campbell met Jackson's wife (a flight attendant with Piedmont Airlines
) at Atlanta Airport and gave her his publishing manager's business card. Jackson went to work for Campbell's music publishing business in the early 1990s and later had many of his hit songs published in part by Campbell's company, Seventh Son Music. Campbell also served as an inspiration to Keith Urban
. Urban cites Campbell as a strong influence on his performing career.
In 2005, Campbell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
It was announced in April 2008 that Campbell was returning to his signature label, Capitol, to release his new album, Meet Glen Campbell
. The album was released on August 19. With this album he branched off in a different musical direction, covering tracks from artists such as Travis
, U2
, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
, Jackson Browne
and Foo Fighters
. It was Campbell's first release on Capitol in over 15 years. Musicians from Cheap Trick
and Jellyfish
contributed to the album as well. The first single, a cover of Green Day
's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
", was released to radio in July 2008. In March 2010, a farewell album titled Ghost on the Canvas
was announced which served as a companion to Meet Glen Campbell.
Ghost on the Canvas
was released on August 30, 2011 with collaborations that include Paul Westerberg
(writer of the title track), Wallflower's singer Jakob Dylan
, Chris Isaak
, Rick Nielsen
and Billy Corgan
of the Smashing Pumpkins.
's second wife, Sarah Barg, in 1976. They had one child together (Dillon) and then divorced in 1980, three weeks after Dillon's birth. In 1980-81 he had a relationship with then 21-year-old country star Tanya Tucker
. Campbell has been married to Kimberly "Kim" Woolen since 1982. Woolen was a Radio City Music Hall
"Rockette" when she and Glen met on a blind date in 1981. They have three children together, Cal, Shannon and daughter Ashley who have joined their father on stage since 2010 as part of his touring band. Campbell, who was raised in the Church of Christ
, and Woolen joined a Baptist Church in Phoenix. In a 2008 interview they said that they have been adherents of Messianic Judaism for two decades.
charges. According to the police report, Campbell drove his car into another car at a Phoenix
intersection. He left the accident scene but was later arrested at his nearby home. After he was booked into a Maricopa County lockup, Campbell kneed a sergeant in the thigh, for which he was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, a charge that was later dropped. Campbell pleaded guilty on May 10, 2004 to extreme DUI
and leaving the scene of an accident and received a 10-day jail sentence.
, "In their heyday, Campbell, Ronald Reagan and Charlton Heston – three proud Republicans – were close friends."
six months earlier. He added he had been suffering from short-term memory loss for years. He also said he intended to do a farewell tour before retiring from the music industry.
American Music Awards
Country Music Association
Country Music Association of Great Britain
Country Music Hall of Fame
Gospel Music Association
(Dove Awards)
Grammy Awards
Musicians' Hall of Fame
Q Awards
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was an American network television music and comedy variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 1969 through June 1972 on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television.
During his 50 years in show business, Campbell has released more than 70 albums. He has sold 45 million records and racked up 12 RIAA Gold albums, 4 Platinum albums and 1 Double-Platinum album. Of his 74 trips up the country charts, 27 landed in the Top 10.
Campbell's hits include John Hartford
John Hartford
John Cowan Hartford was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore...
's "Gentle on My Mind", Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was made famous by American country music singer Glen Campbell, appearing as the opening track on the latter's 1967 album of the same name. Campbell's version reached #2 on...
", "Wichita Lineman
Wichita Lineman
"Wichita Lineman" is a popular song written by Jimmy Webb in 1968, first recorded by Glen Campbell and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks...
" and "Galveston
Galveston (song)
"Galveston" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb and popularized by American country music singer Glen Campbell. In 2003, this song ranked #8 in CMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Glen Campbell's version of the song also made #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the country music...
", Larry Weiss's "Rhinestone Cowboy
Rhinestone Cowboy (song)
"Rhinestone Cowboy" is the title of a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. The song enjoyed immense popularity with both country and pop audiences when it was released in 1975....
" and Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
's "Southern Nights
Southern Nights (song)
"Southern Nights" is the title of a song written by Allen Toussaint and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. It was released in January 1977 as the lead single from the album of the same name...
".
Campbell made history by winning four Grammys in both country and pop categories in 1967. For "Gentle on My Mind" he received two awards in country & western, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" did the same in pop. He owns trophies for Male Vocalist of the Year from both the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
(CMA) and the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
(ACM), and took the CMA's top honor as 1968 Entertainer of the Year. In 1969 Campbell was hand picked by actor John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
to play alongside him in the film True Grit, which gave Campbell a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer. Campbell sang the title song which was nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2005, Campbell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1950s–early 1960s: session musician and the Beach Boys
Campbell was one of 12 children born to a sharecropper father with Scottish ancestors right outside the tiny community of DelightDelight, Arkansas
Delight is a city in Pike County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 311 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace of country musician Glen Campbell, though the actual early home of the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee was in nearby Billstown, which Campbell describes as a "suburb" of...
in Pike County, Arkansas
Pike County, Arkansas
Pike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 11,291. The county seat is Murfreesboro. Pike County is Arkansas's 25th county, formed on November 1, 1833, and named for Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, the explorer who discovered Pikes Peak...
, in a town called Billstown, then a community of fewer than 100 residents. He started playing guitar as a youth without learning to read music. He credits his Uncle Boo for teaching him the guitar.
At 16, Campbell hocked his guitar and went to live with his Uncle Dick Bills in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Campbell joined his uncle’s band known as Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys and also appeared on his uncle’s radio show. A few years later, Campbell formed his own band, the Western Wranglers.
In 1958, Campbell moved to Los Angeles to become a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
. He was part of the 1959 line-up of the group the Champs
The Champs
The Champs were an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged instrumental "Tequila". Formed by studio executives at Gene Autry's Challenge Records to record a B-Side for the Dave Burgess single, the intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-Side, "Train to...
, famous for their instrumental "Tequila". Campbell was in great demand as a session musician in the 1960s. He was part of the studio musicians clique known as "the Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (music)
The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
", many of whom went from session to session together as the same group. In addition to Campbell, Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
on drums, Tommy Tedesco
Tommy Tedesco
Thomas J. Tedesco was an American master session musician and renowned jazz and bebop guitarist.Tedesco's credits include the iconic brand-burning accompaniment theme from television's Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, Vic Mizzy's iconic theme from Green Acres, M*A*S*H, Batman, and Elvis Presley's '68...
on guitar, Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
on piano, Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
on bass guitar, Al Casey
Al Casey (rock & roll guitarist)
Alvin W. Casey was an American guitarist. He was mainly noted for his work as a session musician, but also released records and scored three Billboard Hot 100 hits in the United States...
on guitar were part of this group of session musicians that defined many pop and rock recordings of the era. They were also heard on Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
's "Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
" recordings in the early 1960s.
He was a touring member of the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, filling in for Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
in 1964 and 1965. He played guitar on the group's Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...
album, among other recordings. On tour, he played bass guitar and sang falsetto harmonies.
He can be seen briefly in the 1965 film Baby the Rain Must Fall
Baby the Rain Must Fall
Baby the Rain Must Fall is a 1965 American drama film starring Steve McQueen, directed by Robert Mulligan. Dramatist Horton Foote, who wrote the screenplay, based it on his play The Travelling Lady.-Plot:...
playing guitar in support of Steve McQueen.
Campbell was also the uncredited lead vocalist on "My World Fell Down" by the psychedelic rock act Sagittarius
Sagittarius (band)
Sagittarius was an American late 1960s studio group, devised by the record producer and songwriter, Gary Usher.-History:Usher had been involved with music as a songwriter since the early 1960s , and soon branched out into production work...
, which became a minor hit in 1967.
Late 1960s
As a solo artist, he had moderate success regionally with his first single, "Turn Around, Look at MeTurn Around, Look at Me
"Turn Around, Look at Me" is the name of a song written by Jerry Capehart.In 1961, Glen Campbell released his version as a single. This was his first song to chart in the United States, hitting #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.-The Lettermen's version:...
". "Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry" and "Kentucky Means Paradise" (cut with a bluegrass group called the Green River Boys) were similarly popular within only a small section of the country audience.
In 1962, Campbell signed with Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
and released two instrumental albums and a number of vocal albums during his first five years with the label. However, despite releasing singles written by Brian Wilson ("Guess I'm Dumb" in 1965) and Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
the same year ("The Universal Soldier"), Campbell did not achieve major success as a solo artist. It was rumored that Capitol was considering dropping him from the label in 1966 when he was teamed with producer Al DeLory, and together they collaborated on 1967's Dylanesque
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
"Gentle on My Mind", written by John Hartford
John Hartford
John Cowan Hartford was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore...
.
"Gentle on My Mind" was an overnight success. It was followed by the even bigger triumph of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was made famous by American country music singer Glen Campbell, appearing as the opening track on the latter's 1967 album of the same name. Campbell's version reached #2 on...
" later in 1967, and "I Wanna Live
I Wanna Live (Glen Campbell song)
"I Wanna Live" is the title of a song written by John D. Loudermilk and recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. It was released in March 1968 as the lead single from the album, Hey Little One. The song was Glen Campbell's sixth release on the country charts and his first of five...
" and "Wichita Lineman
Wichita Lineman
"Wichita Lineman" is a popular song written by Jimmy Webb in 1968, first recorded by Glen Campbell and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks...
" in 1968. The 1969 song “True Grit” by composer Elmer Bernstein and lyricist Don Black, and sung by Campbell, who co-starred in the movie, received nominations for both the Academy Award for Best Song and the Golden Globe.
Campbell won two Grammy Awards for his performances on "Gentle on My Mind" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix".
His biggest hits in the late 1960s were the songs written by Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
: "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman
Wichita Lineman
"Wichita Lineman" is a popular song written by Jimmy Webb in 1968, first recorded by Glen Campbell and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks...
", "Where's the Playground, Susie?" and "Galveston
Galveston (song)
"Galveston" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb and popularized by American country music singer Glen Campbell. In 2003, this song ranked #8 in CMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Glen Campbell's version of the song also made #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the country music...
". An album of mainly Webb-penned compositions, Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb
Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb
Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb is the 27th album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1974 .-Track listing:All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicatedSide 1:...
, was released in 1974, but it produced no hit single records.
"Wichita Lineman" was selected as one of the greatest songs of the 20th century by Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine in 1997 and by Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
in 2001.
1970s: The Goodtime Hour, Rhinestone Cowboy and Southern Nights
After he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for television's The Smothers BrothersSmothers Brothers
The Smothers Brothers are Thomas and Richard , American singers, musicians, comedians and folk heroes. The brothers' trademark act was performing folk songs , which usually led to arguments between the siblings...
Comedy Hour variety show, Campbell hosted his own weekly variety show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was an American network television music and comedy variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 1969 through June 1972 on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...
, from January 1969 through June 1972. At the height of his popularity, a 1970 biography by Freda Kramer, The Glen Campbell Story, was published.
With Campbell's session-work connections, he hosted major names in music on his show including: the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
(on film), David Gates
David Gates
David Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
and Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
, the Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
and helped launch the careers of Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, Mel Tillis
Mel Tillis
Lonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
and Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
who were regulars on his Goodtime Hour program.
In 1973, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player Carl Jackson
Carl Jackson
Carl Jackson is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-winning CD titled Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers - a tribute to Ira...
joined Campbell's band for 12 years and went on to win two Grammy awards.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Campbell released a long series of singles and appeared in the movies True Grit (1969) with John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
and Kim Darby
Kim Darby
Kim Darby is an American actress perhaps best known for co-starring with John Wayne and country singer/actor Glen Campbell in the 1969 western True Grit.-Early life and film career:...
and Norwood
Norwood (film)
Norwood is a 1970 film that reunites True Grit co-stars Glen Campbell and Kim Darby, also featuring Joe Namath. It was based on the book of the same title, written by Charles Portis , but updated from the original 1950s setting to 1970.The film marked the final screen appearance of actor Jack...
(1970) with Kim Darby and Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
.
In 1971, Campbell took the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was an American network television music and comedy variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 1969 through June 1972 on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...
on the road for two nights to The Muny
The Muny
The Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
in Forest Park, (the largest and oldest outdoor theatre in America) in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
After the cancellation of his CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series in 1972, Campbell remained a regular on network television. He co-starred in a made-for-television movie, Strange Homecoming, with Robert Culp
Robert Culp
Robert Martin Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp first earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy , the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents...
and up-and-coming teen idol, Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett is an American singer and actor. He became famous in the late 1970s as a teen idol, but received much publicity in later life for his drug abuse and legal troubles.-Early life:...
. He hosted a number of television specials, including 1976's Down Home, Down Under with Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
. He co-hosted the American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
from 1976–78 and headlined the 1979 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
special, Glen Campbell: Back To Basics with guest-stars Seals and Crofts
Seals and Crofts
Seals and Crofts is a band made up of Jim Seals and Dash Crofts . The soft rock duo was one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. They are best known for their hits "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl"...
and Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
. He was a guest on many network talk and variety shows, including: Donny & Marie
Donny & Marie (1976 TV series)
Donny & Marie was an American variety show which aired on ABC from January 1976 to January 1979. The show stars brother and sister pop duo Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond...
, the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, the Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford , better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life:...
Comedy Hour, Merv Griffin
Merv Griffin
Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
, The Midnight Special
The Midnight Special (TV series)
The Midnight Special is an American musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981...
with Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
, DINAH!
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
, Evening at Pops
Evening at Pops
Evening at Pops is one of the longest running programs on PBS. The program was a public television version of a variety show, hosted by a world-renowned orchestra, the Boston Pops...
with Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler was a long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specializes in popular and light classical music. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one of the best-known orchestras in the country...
and the Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
. From 1982–83 he hosted a 30-minute syndicated music show on NBC, the Glen Campbell Music Show
The Glen Campbell Music Show
The Glen Campbell Music Show was a syndicated US music television series presented by singer/guitarist Glen Campbell. In 1981 a pilot episode was broadcast...
.
In the mid-1970s, he had more big hits with "Rhinestone Cowboy
Rhinestone Cowboy (song)
"Rhinestone Cowboy" is the title of a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. The song enjoyed immense popularity with both country and pop audiences when it was released in 1975....
", "Southern Nights
Southern Nights (song)
"Southern Nights" is the title of a song written by Allen Toussaint and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. It was released in January 1977 as the lead single from the album of the same name...
" (both U.S. #1 hits), "Sunflower" (U.S. #39) (written by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
), and "Country Boy
Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)
"Country Boy " is the title of a song written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, and recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. It was released in October 1975 as the second and final single from the album, Rhinestone Cowboy...
(You Got Your Feet in L.A.)." (U.S. #11).
"Rhinestone Cowboy" was Campbell's largest-selling single, initially with over 2 million copies sold in a matter of months. Campbell had heard the songwriter Larry Weiss' version while on tour of Australia in 1974 and felt it was the perfect song for him to record. It was included in the Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
movie parody song "Mr. Jaws", which also reached the top 10 in 1975. "Rhinestone Cowboy" continues to be used in movie soundtracks and TV shows, including "Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
", Daddy Day Care
Daddy Day Care
Daddy Day Care is a 2003 American comedy film, starring Eddie Murphy. It was written by Geoff Rodkey and was directed by Steve Carr. It was released in theaters on May 9, 2003. It was produced by Revolution Studios and released by Columbia Pictures...
, and High School High
High School High
High School High is a 1996 comedy film about an inner city high school in the Los Angeles, California area, starring Jon Lovitz, Tia Carrere, Mekhi Phifer, Louise Fletcher, Malinda Williams and Brian Hooks...
. It was the inspiration for the 1984 Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
/Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
movie Rhinestone
Rhinestone (film)
Rhinestone is a 1984 comedy film directed by Bob Clark with a screenplay by Sylvester Stallone and Phil Alden Robinson; the film stars Stallone and Dolly Parton.-Plot:...
.
Campbell made a techno/pop version of the song in 2002 with UK artists Rikki & Daz
Ricardo Autobahn
John Matthews better known by his stage name Ricardo Autobahn is an English producer, songwriter and musician.Matthews is a member of the bands Spray and the Cuban Boys, who are most famous for their "pass off" UK Christmas hit "Cognoscenti Vs. Intelligentsia"...
and went to the top 10 in the UK with the dance version and related music video.
"Southern Nights," by Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
, his other #1 pop-rock-country crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
hit, was generated with the help of Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
, who turned Campbell onto the song, and Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
, who inspired the famous guitar lick introduction to the song, which was the most-played jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
number of 1977.
From 1971
1971 PGA Tour
The 1971 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to December 12. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Lee Trevino won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below....
to 1983
1983 PGA Tour
The 1983 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to October 30. The season consisted of 43 official money golf tournaments. Seve Ballesteros, Jim Colbert, Mark McCumber, Gil Morgan, Calvin Peete, Hal Sutton, Lanny Wadkins, and Fuzzy Zoeller won the most tournaments, two, and there were 10...
, Campbell was the celebrity host of the Los Angeles Open, an annual professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.
1980s–2000s: Later career and Country Music Hall of Fame induction
Campbell made a cameo appearance in the 1980 Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
movie Any Which Way You Can
Any Which Way You Can
* Beers To You** Written by Steve Dorff , John Durrill , Sandy Pinkard and Snuff Garrett ** Sung by Ray Charles and Clint Eastwood* Any Which Way You Can...
, for which he recorded the title song.
In 1999 Campbell was featured on VH-1's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
's Biography
Biography (TV series)
Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987...
in 2001, and on a number of CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
programs. Campbell ranked 29th on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003.
He is also credited with giving Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
his first big break. Campbell met Jackson's wife (a flight attendant with Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University.As of April 1989,...
) at Atlanta Airport and gave her his publishing manager's business card. Jackson went to work for Campbell's music publishing business in the early 1990s and later had many of his hit songs published in part by Campbell's company, Seventh Son Music. Campbell also served as an inspiration to Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
. Urban cites Campbell as a strong influence on his performing career.
In 2005, Campbell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
It was announced in April 2008 that Campbell was returning to his signature label, Capitol, to release his new album, Meet Glen Campbell
Meet Glen Campbell
Meet Glen Campbell is the 60th album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 2008 .-Track listing:Side 1#"Sing" – 3:45#"Walls" – 3:31#"Angel Dream" – 2:29...
. The album was released on August 19. With this album he branched off in a different musical direction, covering tracks from artists such as Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
and Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
. It was Campbell's first release on Capitol in over 15 years. Musicians from Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
and Jellyfish
Jellyfish (band)
Jellyfish were a power pop band from San Francisco. It formed after Beatnik Beatch broke up in 1989. The core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Roger Joseph Manning, Jr...
contributed to the album as well. The first single, a cover of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
-Charts:-Covers:* Rancid have covered the song in some acoustic performances, Matt Freeman is the lead vocalist in the cover.* Comedian Tim Hawkins plays a parody of the song entitled "These Are Things You Don't Say to Your Wife"...
", was released to radio in July 2008. In March 2010, a farewell album titled Ghost on the Canvas
Ghost on the Canvas
Campbell will be supported on tour by the roots band Instant People, which includes all three of his children with current wife Kim, sons Cal on drums and Shannon on guitar, and daughter Ashley on banjo and keyboards as well as daughter Debby from a previous marriage. His eldest daughter Debby...
was announced which served as a companion to Meet Glen Campbell.
Ghost on the Canvas
Ghost on the Canvas
Campbell will be supported on tour by the roots band Instant People, which includes all three of his children with current wife Kim, sons Cal on drums and Shannon on guitar, and daughter Ashley on banjo and keyboards as well as daughter Debby from a previous marriage. His eldest daughter Debby...
was released on August 30, 2011 with collaborations that include Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
(writer of the title track), Wallflower's singer Jakob Dylan
Jakob Dylan
Jakob Luke Dylan is the lead singer and songwriter of the rock band The Wallflowers and is a son of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and Sara Dylan. He has also recorded two solo albums.-Personal life:...
, Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
, Rick Nielsen
Rick Nielsen
-External links:* * *...
and Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
of the Smashing Pumpkins.
Relationships and children
Campbell has been married four times and is the father of five sons and three daughters, ranging in year of birth from 1956 to 1986. Campbell's eldest daughter is Debby from his first marriage (1955–1959) to Diane Kirk. Their firstborn died as an infant and Debby was their second child. After divorcing Kirk, Campbell married Billie Jean Nunley, a beautician from Carlsbad who bore him Kelli, Travis, and Kane. They divorced in 1975. Shortly after, he had an affair with and later married singer Mac DavisMac Davis
Mac Davis is a country music singer, songwriter, and actor originally from Lubbock, Texas who has enjoyed much crossover success...
's second wife, Sarah Barg, in 1976. They had one child together (Dillon) and then divorced in 1980, three weeks after Dillon's birth. In 1980-81 he had a relationship with then 21-year-old country star Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
. Campbell has been married to Kimberly "Kim" Woolen since 1982. Woolen was a Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
"Rockette" when she and Glen met on a blind date in 1981. They have three children together, Cal, Shannon and daughter Ashley who have joined their father on stage since 2010 as part of his touring band. Campbell, who was raised in the Church of Christ
, and Woolen joined a Baptist Church in Phoenix. In a 2008 interview they said that they have been adherents of Messianic Judaism for two decades.
Legal issues
On November 24, 2003, Campbell was arrested on drunk driving and hit-and-runHit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
charges. According to the police report, Campbell drove his car into another car at a Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
intersection. He left the accident scene but was later arrested at his nearby home. After he was booked into a Maricopa County lockup, Campbell kneed a sergeant in the thigh, for which he was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, a charge that was later dropped. Campbell pleaded guilty on May 10, 2004 to extreme DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
and leaving the scene of an accident and received a 10-day jail sentence.
Political views
Campbell, a Republican, performed at the 1980 Republican National Convention and made a number of campaign appearances afterwards. According to The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, "In their heyday, Campbell, Ronald Reagan and Charlton Heston – three proud Republicans – were close friends."
Alzheimer's diagnosis
In June 2011, Campbell said he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
six months earlier. He added he had been suffering from short-term memory loss for years. He also said he intended to do a farewell tour before retiring from the music industry.
Industry awards
Academy of Country MusicAcademy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- 1967 Album of the YearAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- Gentle on My Mind - 1967 Top Male VocalistAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- 1968 Album of the YearAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- Bobbie Gentry & Glen CampbellBobbie Gentry & Glen CampbellBobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell is a 1968 album by Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry. Gentry and Campbell's harmonies resulted in a gold record and three hit singles, including a cover of the Everly Brothers' hit "All I Have to Do Is Dream", which rose to #3 on the U.K. Top 40 and #27 on the... - 1968 Top Male VocalistAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- 1968 TV Personality of the YearAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- 1971 TV Personality of the YearAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- 1975 Single of the YearAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- "Rhinestone Cowboy" - 1998 Pioneer AwardAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
- 1976 Favorite Pop/Rock SingleAmerican Music Awards of 1976-Pop/Rock Category:*Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist**John Denver*Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist**Olivia Newton-John*Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group**Tony Orlando & Dawn*Favorite Pop/Rock Album**Have You Never Been Mellow? - Olivia Newton-John...
- "Rhinestone Cowboy" - 1976 Favorite Country SingleAmerican Music Award for Favorite Country SingleThe American Music Award for Favorite Country Single is a major music industry award that was created in 1974. However, the award was discontinued after 1995....
- "Rhinestone Cowboy" - 1977 Favorite Country AlbumAmerican Music Award for Favorite Country Album- 2010s :*American Music Awards of 2011**Taylor Swift, Speak Now*American Music Awards of 2010**Carrie Underwood, Play On- 2000s :*American Music Awards of 2009**Taylor Swift, Fearless*American Music Awards of 2008...
- Rhinestone Cowboy
Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
- 1968 Entertainer of the YearCountry Music Association AwardsThe Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
- 1968 Male Vocalist of the YearCountry Music Association AwardsThe Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
Country Music Association of Great Britain
- 1974 Entertainer of the Year
Country Music Hall of Fame
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum identifies and preserves the evolving history and traditions of country music and educates its audiences...
- Inducted in 2005Country Music Hall of Fame and MuseumThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum identifies and preserves the evolving history and traditions of country music and educates its audiences...
Gospel Music Association
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
(Dove Awards)
- 1986 Album by a Secular Artist - No More NightNo More NightNo More Night is the 41st album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1985 .-Track listing:Side 1:# "No More Night" - 4:01# "Good Side Of Tomorrow" - 2:25...
- 1992 Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year - "Where Shadows Never Fall"
- 2000 Country Album of the Year - A Glen Campbell ChristmasA Glen Campbell ChristmasA Glen Campbell Christmas is the 56th album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1998 on the TNN Classic Sessions label...
Grammy Awards
- 1967 Best Country & Western Solo Vocal Performance, MaleGrammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance was awarded between 1965 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male...
- "Gentle on My Mind" - 1967 Best Country & Western RecordingGrammy Award for Best Country & Western RecordingThe Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording was awarded from 1959 to 1968. From 1959 to 1961 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Performance...
- "Gentle on My Mind" - 1967 Best Vocal Performance, MaleGrammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, MaleThe Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male was awarded from 1959 to 1968. The award had several minor name changes:*From 1959 to 1960 the award was known as Best Vocal Performance, Male...
- "By the Time I Get to PhoenixBy the Time I Get to Phoenix"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was made famous by American country music singer Glen Campbell, appearing as the opening track on the latter's 1967 album of the same name. Campbell's version reached #2 on...
" - 1967 Best Contemporary Male Solo Vocal Performance - "By the Time I Get to PhoenixBy the Time I Get to Phoenix"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was made famous by American country music singer Glen Campbell, appearing as the opening track on the latter's 1967 album of the same name. Campbell's version reached #2 on...
" - 1968 Album of the YearGrammy Award for Album of the YearThe Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
- "By the Time I Get to PhoenixBy the Time I Get to Phoenix (album)By the Time I Get to Phoenix is the seventh album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1967 .- Track listing :Side 1:# "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" - 2:42...
" - 2000 Grammy Hall of Fame Award - "Wichita LinemanWichita Lineman"Wichita Lineman" is a popular song written by Jimmy Webb in 1968, first recorded by Glen Campbell and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks...
" - 2004 Grammy Hall of Fame Award - "By the Time I Get to PhoenixBy the Time I Get to Phoenix"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was made famous by American country music singer Glen Campbell, appearing as the opening track on the latter's 1967 album of the same name. Campbell's version reached #2 on...
" - 2008 Grammy Hall of Fame Award - "Gentle on My Mind"
Musicians' Hall of Fame
- Inducted in 2007 (as a member of The Wrecking CrewThe Wrecking Crew (music)The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
)
Q Awards
Q Awards
The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...
- 2008 Q Legend AwardQ AwardsThe Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Baby the Rain Must Fall Baby the Rain Must Fall Baby the Rain Must Fall is a 1965 American drama film starring Steve McQueen, directed by Robert Mulligan. Dramatist Horton Foote, who wrote the screenplay, based it on his play The Travelling Lady.-Plot:... |
Band Member |
| 1967 | The Cool Ones | Patrick |
| 1969 | True Grit | La Boeuf |
| 1970 | Norwood Norwood (film) Norwood is a 1970 film that reunites True Grit co-stars Glen Campbell and Kim Darby, also featuring Joe Namath. It was based on the book of the same title, written by Charles Portis , but updated from the original 1950s setting to 1970.The film marked the final screen appearance of actor Jack... |
Norwood Pratt |
| 1980 | Any Which Way You Can Any Which Way You Can * Beers To You** Written by Steve Dorff , John Durrill , Sandy Pinkard and Snuff Garrett ** Sung by Ray Charles and Clint Eastwood* Any Which Way You Can... |
Singer at Lion Dollar Cowboy Bar |
| 1986 | Uphill All the Way Uphill All the Way Uphill All The Way is a 1986 motion picture starring Roy Clark, Mel Tillis, Glen Campbell, Burl Ives and Trish Van Devere.... |
Capt. Hazeltine |
| 1991 | Rock-A-Doodle Rock-A-Doodle Rock-a-Doodle is a 1992 American animated re-telling of Edmond Rostand's comedy, Chantecler. This film was directed by Don Bluth, produced by Goldcrest Films for The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and originally released in the United States on April 3, 1992.-Plot:Chanticleer is a proud rooster whose... |
Chanticleer (voice) |
Compositions
Glen Campbell's compositions include "Fate of Man", "Less of Me", "(It's Only Your) Imagination", "I Have No One To Love Me Anymore", "Visions of Sugar Plums", "How Do I Tell My Heart Not To Break", "Bull Durham", "Just Another Man", "If This Is Love", "Friends", "Every Time I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin' You", "Spring Mist", "Back In The Race", "Love Is A Lonesome River", and "One Hundred Miles Away From Home".External links
- Official Website
- Yahoo Group/Glen Campbell
- Glen Campbell podcast on Country HQ
- Glen Campbell mugshots at The Smoking GunThe Smoking GunThe Smoking Gun is a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis. The intent is to bring to the public light information that is damning, shocking, outrageous, or amazing, yet also somewhat obscure or unreported by more mainstream media sources...
- Glen Campbell at NPR Music
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- Review of Ghost on The Canvas - Rocker Magazine 2011
- Review of Ghost on The Canvas- PLAY > SKIP Sept 7, 2011