Glen Campbell, 1936-2017

The handsome Glen Campbell at the peak of his fame.

The world lost a great guitar player and singer today with the passing of Glen Campbell at the age of 81. I was fortunate enough to have seen Glen Campbell in concert several times. The concert of his I’ll remember the most was when he played the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in 2000. It was a very hot day, but Glen put on an amazing show, highlighted by his superb guitar playing, great versions of his own hits, and a fun medley of Beach Boys songs. Campbell was a magnetic and charismatic performer, with a great deal of charm, which was enhanced by his All-American handsomeness. 

I saw Glen Campbell on his farewell tour in 2012, and I reviewed that show here. It was a moving evening of great music, and his guitar playing was still breathtaking. I think that Campbell’s guitar playing was underrated, as he could play well in just about any genre. 

My Dad had a very cool advertising job in the early 1970’s, and he met Glen Campbell backstage at “The Tonight Show” in March of 1971. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to meet Johnny Carson, but he still had a pretty fun time. He said that Glen was very nice, even though he had laryngitis and couldn’t sing. 

Glen Campbell made a lot of great music, and his legacy as a recording artist will continue to live on. My favorite recording of Glen Campbell's will always be his version of John Hartford's beautiful song "Gentle on My Mind."