Glen Campbell may be dead now, but in his lifetime he has firmly established himself in the annals of musical heroes of the golden age, dead or alive. He lived and played music at the same time the world was enjoying the likes of Dolly Patton, Jim Reeves, and Smokie Robinson. Nevertheless, he created more than 70 albums, 80 chat songs, 45 million records sold worldwide, and numerous awards and album certifications.
Glen may have experienced his best years in music in the 60s and 70s, but he has stopped with memories that will live on forever.
Glen Campbell Wiki and Net Worth
Throughout his life, Campbell was surrounded by a family too numerous to count. He was born in Arkansas on 22 April 1936 to a family of twelve children. His parents, John Wesley and Carrie Dell (Stone) Campbell had a hard time with money. They were small farmers who grew cotton, potatoes, corn, and watermelons to survive, but they barely made ends meet. His family had to earn an extra income by picking cotton for larger farmers for $1.25 a pound.
Glen Campbell’s family was musical. He owes his early musical inspiration to his Uncle Boo, who got him a guitar when he was four and taught him the basics of the instrument. He continued to improve his skills by listening to the radio and recording records like Django Reinhardt, a man he considered the best guitarist of all time.
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He later dropped out of school and moved with these brothers at the age of 14 to Houston, where they worked in the installation of insulation and later at a gas station. During this time Glen Campbell continued to find time to make music. He performed at music fairs, church picnics, church choir, local radio stations, and later on, some performances at a local nightclub. At 17 Campbell moved to Albuquerque to join his uncle’s band, Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys. There he also appeared on his uncle’s radio show and a children’s television show on KOB. Four years later, in 1958, he formed his own band, The Western Wranglers.
In 1961 he joined the Champs while writing lyrics and recording demos during the day. As his demand as a session musician grew, he joined a group of studio musicians, The Wrecking Crew. In this capacity, Glen was able to work with heavyweights such as The Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and, most advantageously, Elvis Presley, with whom he formed a friendship due to their humble beginnings together.
Solo Career
Glen Campbell and the kids’ solo career began in 1961 after signing with Crest Records and releasing his first single Turn Around, Look At Me, which peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. He joined Capital Records in 1962 and after some average successes, he reached a nice phase in his career.
After a brief weakening of his musical abilities, the rest of the 60s and 70s became the best musical periods of his career. Campbell’s 1967 songs Gentle On My Mind and By the Time I Get To Phoenix broke a huge record by winning four Grammys. His 1968 songs I Wanna Live and Wichita Lineman remained in the Billboard Top 100 for 15 consecutive weeks.
His songs Rhinestone Cowboys and Southern Nights were number one US hits in the mid-1970s. Rhinestone Cowboys initially sold over 2 million copies and was used in many movies and television shows such as High School High and Desperate Housewives. He was also the inspiration for the self-titled film “Rhinestone” by Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Patton.
Glen Campbell Wife, Kids, Family, Son, Height
Glen came from a large family and also produced one. He had four marriages. From these relationships he had eight children; three daughters and five sons.
He met his first wife, Diane Kirk while working with his uncle in Albuquerque. They were married from 1955 to 1959 and had one daughter, Debby Campbell. He had three children, Billy, Travis, and Kane with his second wife, Billie Jean Nunley, whom he divorced in 1976. In September of the same year, he married Sarah Barg and they had one child, Dillon, before they divorced in 1980.
After Sarah, he had a brief romantic encounter with the artist, Tanya Tucker, before marrying Kim Woollen in 1982. They had three children. Cal, Shannon, and Ashley, who joined him on his farewell tour in 2010 as support.
In the period before his death, his two eldest children sued Kim Campbell because they did not like the way she handled his wealth and care.
The famous 6ft height singer died on August 8, 2017, in Nashville, Tennessee. After his death, his former girlfriend Tanya Tucker recorded a song in his honor. And the Country Music Channel and other channels broadcast special programs celebrating his career while interviewing famous acts who had worked with him throughout his life.
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TV Shows
Glen Campbell also has a good portfolio as a guest and host of a TV show. He had his own television and comedy show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, which was broadcast on CBS from 1969 to June 1972. Thanks to his connections from his time as a session musician, he was able to host big music stars such as The Beatles, Johnny Cash, and Roger Miller.
From 1964 he appeared regularly and sparingly on various television shows. He appeared regularly on the syndicated television series Star Route, hosted by Rod Cameron, Hollywood Jamboree, ABC’s Shindig, The Merv Griffin Show, and the American Music Awards. He played or had cameos in films such as Strange Homecoming (1974) and Clint Eastwood’s film Any Which Way You Can (1980), for which he recorded the title song.
In 2005 Glen Campbell made it into the Country Music Hall Of Fame. His last three albums, Meet Glen Campbell and Ghost on the Canvas, were recorded in 2008 and 2010, respectively, and Adios, which was written in 2012 and released in June 2017
His last tour, the farewell tour, came after he announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This was followed by his last single in January 2013, I’m Not Gonna Miss You. The song was featured in the 2014 documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me. His wife Kim Campbell received the Career Achievement Awards on his behalf at the 10th Annual ACM Honors, where Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, and several others sang a medley in his honor.
Glen Campbell’s album collection includes 12 gold-certified albums, 4 platinum albums, and one double-platinum album. At the time of his death, Campbell’s net worth was estimated at $55 million.
