COUNTRY AND POP SUPERSTAR
∗ Born April 22, 1936 in Billstown, Arkansas, but famously claimed nearby Delight as his hometown, where his father was a sharecropper; youngest of 12 children
∗ Learned guitar by mimicking Django Reinhardt records, and later from his Uncle Boo, whose band he joined in 1954 in Albuquerque; formed his own band, the Western Wranglers, in 1958
∗ Moved to Los Angeles in 1960 and joined The Champs, who had a big hit the prior year with “Tequila”; worked at a publishing company writing songs and recording demos
∗ Worked as a session musician; was part of the so-called Wrecking Crew, an informal group of top-notch studio musicians who became famous in the industry for performing on dozens of 1960s hits; played guitar on, among others:
- Be My Baby (Ronettes, recorded in 1963)
- Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys, 1964)
- Everybody Loves Somebody (Dean Martin, 1964)
- Little Honda (Hondells, 1964)
- Viva Las Vegas (Elvis Presley, 1964)
- You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Righteous Brothers, 1964)
- Help Me Rhonda, California Girls, Good Vibrations (Beach Boys, 1965)
- Pet Sounds album (Beach Boys, 1965)
- California Dreamin’ (Mamas & Papas, 1965)
- Strangers In The Night (Frank Sinatra, 1966)
- The Bottle Let Me Down (Merle Haggard, 1966)
- Last Train To Clarksville, I’m A Believer (Monkees, 1966)
- Something Stupid (Frank & Nancy Sinatra, 1967)
∗ Recorded as a singer “Turn Around, Look At Me” (1962), a Top 15 adult contemporary hit; other early singles included “Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry” and Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Universal Soldier”
∗ Toured with the Beach Boys in 1964-1965 in place of Brian Wilson, who temporarily retired from performing in concert
∗ Released in 1967 “Gentle On My Mind,” a John Hartford song that became his breakthrough pop and country hit, winning two Grammy Awards
∗ Released “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” written by Jimmy Webb, also in 1967; won Single of the Year and Album of the Year awards from the Academy of Country Music; named Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1968; won three Grammy Awards in 1968 including Album of the Year, the first country LP to win
∗ Released huge hits “Wichita Lineman” in 1968 (nominated for Record of the Year Grammy Award) and “Galveston” in 1969 – both written by Jimmy Webb
∗ Hosted summer replacement series for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1968 on CBS-TV, leading to his own weekly program, the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (1969-1972) on CBS-TV ; guest-starred on many TV variety shows and specials; hosted the Glen Campbell Music Show (1982-1983) on NBC-TV
∗ Co-starred in 1969 film True Grit with John Wayne, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer; sang the title song, which was nominated for an Academy Award; made a cameo appearance in Clint Eastwood film Any Which Way You Can (1980) and recorded the title song; appeared in 10 other films and TV movies
∗ Achieved two Billboard Hot 100 #1 pop hits: “Rhinestone Cowboy” (1975) written by Larry Weiss; and “Southern Nights” (1977), written by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint
∗ Hosted the Los Angeles Open annual PGA golf tournament from 1971 to 1983
∗ Was instrumental in helping launch the career of country singer Alan Jackson; boosted the careers of singers Jerry Reed and Anne Murray, who were regulars on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
∗ Conducted infamous affairs with singer Mac Davis’ wife Sarah (whom he later married) and with singer Tanya Tucker, a stormy relationship marked by drugs and alcohol that made them tabloid regulars
∗ Married fourth wife, Kimberly Woolen, in 1982; moved to Phoenix and gave up alcohol and drugs; became a born-again Christian and attended North Phoenix Baptist church; won top Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association in 1986, 1992 and 2000
∗ Built home in Phoenix’s Biltmore Estates in 1996; also owned home in Forest Highlands golfing development near Flagstaff
∗ Arrested in 2003 for extreme DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, and aggravated assault after hitting another car at 32nd Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix; served 10 days in Tent City, capped by a concert for fellow inmates
∗ Moved to Los Angeles area in 2005 to be with Phoenix-born daughter Ashley as she attended Pepperdine University
∗ Released more than 70 albums, sold more than 50 million records, placed more than 80 singles on the country, pop and/or adult contemporary charts; 29 reached the top 10
∗ Won six Grammy Awards, plus received Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012; won three American Music Awards in 1976; inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005; inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007; won 10 Academy of Country Music Awards, including Career Achievement Award in 2016
∗ Diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2011; embarked on a celebrated “Goodbye Tour” featuring three of his children as backup musicians in 2011-2012; starred in 2015 documentary I’ll Be Me, a look back at his career and his life living with Alzheimer’s
∗ Recorded tracks for his final album Adios in 2012-2013; was released June 9, 2017
∗ Moved in 2014 to a Ahlzheimer’s long-term care facility in Nashville, where he died August 8, 2017
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