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Quick Facts
Best Known For
Glen Campbell is best known for his country music career, and his later crossover success as an actor in films such as 1969's True Grit.
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Play NowGlen Campbell. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 12:20, May 20, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426.
Glen Campbell. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426 [Accessed 20 May 2013].
"Glen Campbell." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 20 2013, 12:20 http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426.
"Glen Campbell," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426 [accessed May 20, 2013].
"Glen Campbell," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426 (accessed May 20, 2013).
Glen Campbell [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 20] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426.
Glen Campbell, http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426 (last visited May 20, 2013).
Glen Campbell. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/glen-campbell-9542426. Accessed May 20, 2013.
Campbell's ease, humor and musical skill charmed audiences and impressed CBS executives, who offered Campbell his own primetime variety show.
Contents
Acting Debut
Debuting in 1969, The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour was a combination of musical acts, comedy segments, and glamorous guest stars. The show, which was produced under The Smothers Brothers production label, became a No. 1 hit in the United States and the U.K., making Campbell an international star.
After his television success, Campbell moved to the big screen. He forged a film career with his debut performance opposite John Wayne in 1969's True Grit. Although the variety series was canceled in 1972, the success of his No. 1 singles, "Rhinestone Cowboy" (1975) and "Southern Nights" (1977), further cemented Campbell's status as a crossover success.
Substance Abuse
Beginning in the late 1970s, while dating singer Tanya Tucker, Campbell's abuse of cocaine and alcohol began to take a toll on his career. The couple's explosive relationship and flagging record sales made Campbell a mainstay in the gossip pages. However, after a few years of touring in the 1980s, Campbell left Los Angeles, successfully overcame his drug habit, and became a born-again Christian.
In 1994, Campbell published a tell-all autobiography fittingly titled Rhinestone Cowboy. In 2005, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He continues to appear at theaters in Branson, Missouri, and in 2008 he released an album of cover songs entitled Meet Glen Campbell.
Recent Years
In 2011, Campbell announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer 's disease. The country legend decided to record one more album and hit the road one more time before his condition worsened. Campbell has begun to experience memory problems, as he told People magazine. "I'm going to be right in the middle of a sentence, man—and it just goes."
Glen Campbell released Ghost on the Canvas to warm reviews and has enjoyed great support from fans during his farewell tour. In February 2012, he was honored at the Grammy Awards, receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also participated in a special tribute to his music with Blake Shelton and the Band Perry. The entire audience rose to their feet and sang along as Campbell performed his signature tune "Rhinestone Cowboy." The event was a fitting salute to one of country's most influential stars.
In April 2013, Campbell announced plans to retire from touring, citing the progression of his Alzheimer's disease. Around the same time, Campbell embarked on a trip to Washington, D.C., where he advocated for Alzheimer's research. He also announced that a new album, See You There—a reimagining of hits like "Wichita Lineman" and "Rhinestone Cowboy"—would be released in the summer of 2013.
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