Country music legend Glen Campbell has died at age 81 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Campbell recorded over 70 albums during his career, up to four in one year during his peak in the late 60s.
The first Glen Campbell album ‘Blue Grass Special’ (with Green River Boys) was released in 1962. Glen was already in his late 20s at the time. His first platinum was his sixth album ‘Gentle On My Mind’ featuring songs by Nilsson, Roy Orbison and Donovan and the session band Wrecking Crew featuring Leon Russell.
However, it was the next album that cracked Campbell worldwide as a country superstar. ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ started a long association with songwriter Jimmy Webb who would go on to craft many of Campbell’s hit in the 70s.
Campbell’s albums were guaranteed number one releases for his record label Capitol Records so they kept him in the studio as much as possible. Over a three year period from 1967 to 1969 Glen Campbell recorded an incredible 10 studio albums.
The 70s also treated Campbell well. Hits included ‘I Knew Jesus (Before He Was A Superstar)’, ‘Bonaparte’s Retreat’, ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ and ‘Southern Nights’.
In 2011 Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He managed to record three more albums since he was diagnosed, ‘Ghost In The Canvas’ (2011), ‘See You There’ (2013) and ‘Adiós’ (2017). Each album was recorded as if it were his last.
The title track ‘Adios’ was a Jimmy Webb song. Webb concluded his recent Australian shows with the song as a tribute to his lifelong friend.
Glen died in Nashville on 8 August 2017.
