He's a great performer and song writer, one that will never be forgotten by the world of music. Alzheimer's is a horrible disease, and those of us that see those afflicted with this dreaded malady know what is in store for Glen during the ensuing years. He has enjoyed a wonderful life and will continue to be in our hearts.

Gary

How sad! My father-in-law died of the disease a year ago.

He was a psychiatrist who managed an Alzheimers ward at a VA. That was bad, because he told me, "I know what the future will be and it's horrible". My 14 years as his caretaker made me commit to nursing home reform.

I followed Campbells career from his first Rock and roll hit, "Turn Around, Look at Me, in 1962. Then , I had the privilege of playing the same venue in Barstow California, along with Buck Owens, the Browns, the Burnette brothers (Tommy and Dorsey) and others.


Hell of a player!

What a shame.


Russ

I sure hate to hear that bad news. I would like to see him. "The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour," now, THAT is sad.

How do they diagnose Alzheimer's?

EDIT: Google shows this...
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_diagnosis.asp

Very sad indeed. I do a lot of work with one of Glen's former piano players, who retired back home here to Cape Breton, and he was devastated to learn of Glen's Alzheimer's.

I looked after an uncle for several years with the disease, and it's not pretty, and very hard, not only on the person suffering with the ailment, but on the person's loved ones as well.

Glen is one of my very favorite Country singers, my best-loved songs being "Galveston", "Wichita Lineman", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix".

Ian

This is surly very sad Glenn made millions happy with his songs..When I perform at "Reminiscence" clinics aka Alzheimer's....
I see the devastating disease first hand & I'm glad that I can somehow with my music make their day a little brighter. Music is "magic medicine" that can penetrate the senses in many ways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Campbell

Of course, heck, I hope I make it to age 76. He's had a lot of good times. And rough times. But, a full life.

I perform a lot of Glen Campbell songs regularly, but my favorite, beyond a doubt, is True Grit. I've watched the movie a dozen times or more, and never grew tired of it. I performed True Grit this evening at a retirement community, and had a very difficult time singing the song with the knowledge that this wonderful entertainer, who is barely 5 years older than me, has such a devastating disease.



Gary

Love it Gary. And this Jimmy Webb song is a songwriting masterpiece. Webb had enough sense to hitch on to Glenn Campbell and it made Webb a very rich man.

Heck, I can't figure out how to embed a youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qoymGCDYzU

A post on a guitar forum I frequent:

In 2006, I was with some buddies on a golf trip in Scotland. We were in St. Andrews at this point in the trip. We are on the first tee at Kingsbarns, and Glen Campbell walks up. He is in the group behind us. Well, he is there behind us all day. I watch him most of the day, and he has a nice swing and appears to be a good player. I am a former NCAA division 1 golf champion and a former professional player. I can spot a good player, and he was.

Anyway, that night me and my buddies are sitting at an outside table at a famous pub there in St Andrews - the Dunvagen. We have a few beers in us, and there walks by Glen Campbell with a couple of people. We stop him and mention that he looked like he was playing well. He is carrying a pizza oddly enough. He is EXTREMELY nice. I tell him that when I was a kid the first songs I learned on guitar were his and that he was my hero. Well he likes this. I ask him if he would join us and let me buy him a beer or something. He says, "Boy, I guess you don't read the tabloids much. I ain't had a drink in years. But sure, we will sit with you boys." So he and his (much younger) wife and his agent or manager sit with us. They sit with us for probably an hour and a half. Great stories being told, and just an extremely nice and friendly guy. He mainly talked golf, but we talked music too. And he shared his pizza with us. It was just a really cool experience. Like I said, he was my first music hero I can ever remember.

I hate to hear this about Glen Campbell. I am not sure what has been said over the years about Glen, but I can tell you from first hand experience he is an incredibly nice and gracious man.

===

I sure didn't realize he is age 76 now. I would have thought ten years younger. He still looks good when I have seen him in recent years, even with all his hell-raisin'.

Here's a song I was not familiar with... has a cool bridge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYWuORcMYBM&feature=player_embedded