Remembering 'Rhinestone Cowboy' Glen Campbell in pictures
Glen Campbell's legacy includes cuts on Elvis Presley songs, duets with Tony Bennett and 75 chart hits of his own. A country, crossover and TV star, he's one who can't be put in a box.
'Viva Las Vegas'
Glen Campbell got his start playing music with an uncle at age 14. He made it big just a few years later, after moving to Los Angeles in 1962. His talents were instantly recognized and, in 1963, he began working with famous musicians. His work can be heard on songs like Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas,” Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" and the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."
'People music'
Working with a diverse range of musicians, from Nancy Sinatra and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash, Campbell is credited with developing country music crossover. In 1968, he said, "Roger Miller opened a lot of people's eyes to the possibilities of country music, and it's making more impact now because it's earthy material, stories and things that happen to everyday people. I call it 'people music.'"
'Try a Little Kindness'
In 1968, Campbell's twangy nostalgia led to him outselling The Beatles. Though he'd later go on to experience addiction to drugs and alcohol, in 1970 he was still putting out platitudes in hits including "Try a Little Kindess." He croons: "Don’t you walk around down and out / Lend a helping hand instead of doubt / And the kindness that you show every day / Will help someone along their way."
'A country boy who sings'
Country western music has a reputation for twangy recollections of upbringings in rural areas - quite the opposite of the razzle-dazzle LA life Campbell started living in the 1960s. Still, he was proud of his humble beginnings. "I'm not a country singer per se," Campbell once said. "I'm a country boy who sings."
'True Grit'
Not only famous for his music, Glen Campbell appeared in several television shows and movies. From 1969 to 1972, he hosted his own TV show, "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour," where he worked with comedian Steve Martin and featured up-and-coming musical acts like Willie Nelson. He's perhaps best known, however, for lending his country boy charms to a role in the John Wayne classic western, "True Grit."
Influenced by Django Reinhardt
While Campbell was instrumental in helping country music cross over into pop, his influences went well beyond those two genres. He cites jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt as one of the first to have made an impression on him musically.
'I'll Be Me'
In 2011, the singer and former actor announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. After finishing a 15-stop farewell tour, he allowed cameras to follow him in his struggle with the early stages of the disease for the documentary "I'll Be Me," which was released in 2014. Campbell died on August 8, 2017, at the age of 81.