Glen Campbell Has Alzheimer's Disease
The Rhinestone Cowboy, Glen Campbell, announced he has Alzheimer's disease but is going to go out on the road one last time to say goodbye to fans. It is always sad to see something like this. It is also hard to believe the guy is 75 years old. He was pretty old when Rhinestone Cowboy actually was a hit because that was like in the 1970's so he must have been almost 40. I know he had some hits for 20 years before that, but that is when he got his nickname.
For those of you who are younger and have no idea who Glen Campbell is, let me tell you, this guy was a walking tabloid when he was younger. He divorced his first wife and then started sleeping with the wife of another famous country singer. Oh, he was almost 50 when he started hooking up with Tanya Tucker. She was 21. I have always suspected he may have hooked up with her well before she was 21, but he would have been married at the time to the woman he stole from the other country singer. He has done his share of drugs, been arrested for DUI, assaulting police and the lot, but even with that and the random hookups, he keeps winning those Christian Dove Awards. This guy has had a career and it will be sad to see him say goodbye.
29 comments:
That is terrible. I;m a little too young to really remember this guy, but it's always sad when someone gets Alzheimer's. I feel really bad for him and his family.
I hope he hangs on for as long as possible.
try the 60's. he had HUGE hits with 'wichita lineman', 'gentle on my mind' and 'galveston' long before that crappy song 'rhinestone cowboy' which was later.
i'm old enough to know that. :)
he's the stuff country legends are made of...so sad to hear about the alzheiemer's. :(
I remember he was a mean drunk, but what a voice. When they run down the top 100 songs of all time he's on that list more than once.
It's always tragic when someone's health degrades & they want to make 1 more tour for old times sake. Waylon Jennings tried it near the end & it was so sad. I hope that doesn't happen to him.
What ever happened to Mac Davis? After Glen stole his wife he just disappeared. Curious..
I hope the tour is everything he needs it to be.
I remember some of the drama. I was young but I guess I'm old now since you said he was old at almost 40.
Sad to hear about Alzheimer's Disease. My grandfather had it and it was devastating.
Ha, thanks for the memories Enty, I had forgotten the Mac Davis incident - that was awesome gossip back then. I loved both at the time and Mac had a tv show as I recall.
It's funny that a friend of mine just mentioned Mac Davis the other day. I Googled him and didn't realize he was as old as he is. Glen and Tanya were the sh*t back in the day; like two sparrows in a hurricane. ;)
Karma catches up with a mean drunken pedophile. Whatever.
i only went to las vegas once. not my scene. BUT, i saw who?
MAC DAVIS!
lol. he was actually really good.
My father went to high school with Mac Davis, but didn't hang out with him, just knew who he was. My pa was also a few years behind Buddy Holly. Not revelant but I never get to mention it, so there!
I remember getting a crush on Campbell after seeing him in the first True Grit movie.
don't forget his stint in the beach boys! i actually have a glen campbell autograph - my daddy got it for me back in the day. i didn't know about the mac davis story. that's a hot mess!
When I was a child, I was born and raised in Galveston, so that is always my 'home' song. My father was a Lineman for Southwestern Bell, so I really did think GC had a window on our family. But alas, it was Jimmy Webb who wrote the songs.
Mac Davis was gorgeous! And Glen Campbell was great. Tanya Tucker - just crazy.
So sad. My mom loves him, and although I'm way too young to have actually seen him in his prime, I hear his music all the time.
I saw him play with the Beach Boys.
Glenn was a successful session musician playing on a ton of hit songs from the 60s before he had a solo career. See http://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/
I forgot about his hookup with Tanya Tucker. Had no idea he lead such a, er, colorful tabloid life. But, hey, he's a musician.
I remember his variety show - if that's what you want to call it. My mom loved the song Everyday Housewife. He does have a pleasant voice. I remember Tatum and Glen on all the tabloid covers - they were a wild couple.
Oh such sad news, I always had a massive crush on him & still have his CDS!
Sad News,
If you listen to only one Glenn Campbell track is should be Wichita Lineman. It is this beautiful achingly clear tenor voice.
Rhinestone cowboy is a frothy ditty that is fun but does not compare to lineman or Galveston.
Alzheimers is an evil thing. Very sorry to hear this.
I used to love The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour when I was a kid. I had all his albums. I just loved the song Galveston When he got killed in True Grit I cried. I was 10 years old when that movie came out. I just saw it on TV Sunday and it reminded me how much I used to like him. This makes me really sad to hear that he has Alzheimers. It's such a horrible disease. Hopefully he can complete his last tour before it gets too bad.
@califblondy - WOW. I have not thought about that song in ... well almost a decade! ;)
Alzheimer's is a heartbreaking disease. I wish him well. :(
SAD! I remember his variety show, and after my car was broken into everything was stolen except except my "best of Glen Campbell" tape and several Chanel lipsticks (go figure). I still listen to the tape - the lipsticks melted. Galveston is my favorite!
I just watched True Grit (again) last night! Great film!
Weird connection: Glen was with Tanya Tucker for however long, at one point Tanya dubbed herself "The Female Elvis," Elvis Presley was slated to play Glen Campbell's part in True Grit but The Colonel refused unless Elvis got top billing, which didn't happen, hence, Glen Campbell.
So sad to hear this, Glen Campbell was really big when I was growing up, you heard him on the radio all the time. Galveston was one of my favorites, I found it rather ironic when we moved an hour south of there and I really got to know the place well. Still one of my favorite songs.
Good luck Glen.
I watched his TV show back in the day--I was a little kid. Loved him. Too bad he had such difficulties after--he had a nice voice.
That IS interesting, Robert. Then again, I'm a HUGE Elvis fan. Huge.
I remember The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour and loved GC. I also got a huge crush on him watching True Grit. My first concert was Glen Campbell and as my mother had comp tickets because she worked at a radio station we were in the 3rd row and he signed my autograph book. I didn't remember he stole his best friends woman. Juicy!
I love Mac Davis! I know this is about Glen Campbell, but you can't think of Glen Campbell without Mac Davis. Mac Davis wrote Elvis Presley's "In the Ghetto." I was pretty young when these two were in their prime, but I remember Mac Davis with the Muppets.
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