The Steel Guitar Forum

This is so sad - we will soon lose another musical icon:

http://www.thedailybanner.com/glen-camp ... r-stage-6/

Kind Regards, Walter

I learned about this while watching the documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me on CNN: The I'll Be Me Alzheimer's Fund

I'm sure at this point a lot of us have seen the documentary - if you haven't - do so - it was outstanding.

But this Stage 6 where Glen is at now, a whole different deal compared to where he was in the film - and perhaps even prgressively worse today because the article is from February 6.

I watched the video attached to the article of Glen being backed by an orchestra for Wichita Lineman.

The short lead break he took on his Strat mostly devoid of effects and played clean - he was just an exquisite guitar player.

Such a hard, hard road for the family, I feel for them. My wife is a hospice nurse and sees this most days.

A lot of the people who were huge fans of Glen the entertainer were unaware he was a staple on the "Wrecking Crew" stable of studio cats who played on nearly everything out of LA in the 60's-70's. He played guitar on far more stuff than many people realize.

The short lead break he took on his Strat mostly devoid of effects and played clean - he was just an exquisite guitar player.

Yes he was. I'm surprised there was never an album during his career that showcased his extraordinary instrumental talent. He could play with the very best of them.

Some of us remember that Glen was a short term member of The Beach Boys after Brian Wilson flipped out and decided he needed to get off the road as part of the touring band and Glen replaced Wilson for a time.

I remember an article several years ago where it was written that the band members asked Campbell if he would like to become a permanent Beach Boy and though he thanked them for asking, he told them that they wouldn't be able to pay him enough.

I don't recall the exact figures and you have to take these online inflation calculators with a grain of salt, but adjusted for dollars from several years back, his annual income at the time as a Wrecking Crew guy around 1965 was somewhere in say 2010 money between $500-$600K.

Nice work if you can get it!

I believe he is in stage 7. That's what I've been reading.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... e-20160308

Everyone should watch this movie. I noticed that while Glen's memory was declining rapidly, his guitar playing seem to still come natural to him. Watching this movie helped me understand my own mother's actions because she is also in the late stages and lives in an assisted living memory care facility. She's 82.

Best of luck to Glen and his family as they continue this difficult journey.

RC

i always liked glen, but most of what i've read about him was from a tanya tucker autobiography.

Fascinating and sad documentary. Campbell in his prime was a hell of a guitarist. There's a 70s Midnight Special clip I've never seen but heard about for years where he holds his own with George Benson.

Campbell in his prime was a hell of a guitarist. There's a 70s Midnight Special clip I've never seen but heard about for years where he holds his own with George Benson.

I saw that episode. With all due respect to Mr. Benson, I recall Glen seriously outplaying him that night. Only my opinion, of course...

Barry Blackwood wrote:

Campbell in his prime was a hell of a guitarist. There's a 70s Midnight Special clip I've never seen but heard about for years where he holds his own with George Benson.

I saw that episode. With all due respect to Mr. Benson, I recall Glen seriously outplaying him that night. Only my opinion, of course...

I don't know who George Benson is, but I don't think Glen had a problem holding his own with anyone.

RC

I'm thinking after reading the Wiki article link Barry posted, Rick will say: "Oh right, that George Benson!"

Alzheimer's is such a terrible disease. I remember my grandmother starting to show symptoms. She would call me her dog's name (Coco) and the dog my name.

At the end of her life, I worked in the nursing home she was in. The nurses taught it was funny when they would point at me and ask her who I was. She would reply "My husband". I guess it was because I look so much like my grandfather. It hurt, but I understood what had happened to her memory.

The morning she passed, the nurses told me (because my great aunt wouldn't call me). I said "praise the Lord, she's now in her right mind again."

For those of you that deal with someone with Alzheimer's, I sympathize with you.

Loosing Glen is a great loss. I enjoyed his playing and songs so much.

Mark Eaton wrote:I'm thinking after reading the Wiki article link Barry posted, Rick will say: "Oh right, that George Benson!"

The more I think about it, the more the name George Benson slightly rings some bells. I honestly didn't know anything about George Benson. I lean more toward the Jimmy Capps, Greg Galbraith, etc... styles of playing. I did listen to some of George's playing on you tube and I now realize what a talented player he is. What can I say...... my music listening has never been too broad. I still think Glen didn't have any problems holding his own. Thanks guys. I learned something from you today. That George sure plays some fast runs. I'm impressed.

RC

George and Glen? Very different players musically speaking but both with very solid techniques. (I'm rather proud that I got to accompany Mr Benson on steel guitar on a UK tv show. He showed great interest in the capabilities of a pedal guitar.)

As for Glen and his terrible illness I'm very sad. He's had a stellar career and I've been a fan since his 1969 LP 'Glen Campbell - Live'. After that I'd try and see him when he came to London and I was never disappointed.

He made so many wonderful records but my favourite is the extended version of his 'Reunion' album with Jimmy Webb. Glen tackles lots of Webb's less-known songs and he was never in better voice! I'll treasure that CD as a fitting summary of what a great talent we're going to miss.

He's really one of the greats.

Rick Campbell wrote:

Mark Eaton wrote:I'm thinking after reading the Wiki article link Barry posted, Rick will say: "Oh right, that George Benson!"

The more I think about it, the more the name George Benson slightly rings some bells. I honestly didn't know anything about George Benson. I lean more toward the Jimmy Capps, Greg Galbraith, etc... styles of playing. I did listen to some of George's playing on you tube and I now realize what a talented player he is. What can I say...... my music listening has never been too broad. I still think Glen didn't have any problems holding his own. Thanks guys. I learned something from you today. That George sure plays some fast runs. I'm impressed.

RC

Rick, I don't think you're going out on much of a limb in writing that you think Glen could hold his own as a guitar player with Benson and others - I don't believe there is a person on the planet (who is of a certain age) with a decent knowledge of guitar playing who would think otherwise.

Aside from George's actual guitar playing - and of course I have no idea what you viewed on YouTube - he became real smart decades ago when he added vocals to his skills, much like Glen Campbell did. Benson has a bunch of Grammys, including for vocal performance on songs he covered like the R & B classic On Broadway, and one written by Leon Russell, This Masquerade. These songs were huge hits in the mid to late '70s and early '80s. Whether or not a person liked his renditions of these songs, you could hardly escape them in those days.

As I wrote earlier, Glen Campbell was doing quite well back in the day as a member of the Wrecking Crew as a session player, but like George Benson, he became an international star when he became Glen Campbell the singer and frontman.

Roger Rettig wrote:
He made so many wonderful records but my favourite is the extended version of his 'Reunion' album with Jimmy Webb. Glen tackles lots of Webb's less-known songs and he was never in better voice! I'll treasure that CD as a fitting summary of what a great talent we're going to miss.

Yes that's a great record! I remember my mother's reaction when she randomly heard it. Without understanding a word in English, she said that he must be singing about something very sad.

I too have been following Glen's slow decline know in the future my wife and I will be going thru some of the same with her mom. When I see clips of Glen at his top game and then the documentary of where he is now it is hard to deal with. Glen has always been a bit of a hero. Gentle On My Mind was one of the first songs I learned on the guitar.

Gentle On My Mind was a great song for Glen. It was written by John Hartford.

RC

Don't cook with aluminum foil or in an aluminum coffee pot, tv dinners, etc.

Glen Campbell on 12 string lead, absolutely brilliant.

Watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-sExIVBVaw

Nice stuff Jan! A couple of giants there between Glen and Roy.

Great look Glen had going with the black suit and the bolo tie.

Rick mentioned John Hartford. I don't remember the quote, but John said a bunch of years ago something to the effect that Gentle On My Mind afforded him the freedom to do pretty much whatever he wanted in his life.

And Glen on an Ovation electric 12 string - the smartest thing that company ever did was getting Glen Campbell on the program.

Mark Eaton wrote:Nice stuff Jan! A couple of giants there between Glen and Roy.

Great look Glen had going with the black suit and the bolo tie.

Rick mentioned John Hartford. I don't remember the quote, but John said a bunch of years ago something to the effect that Gentle On My Mind afforded him the freedom to do pretty much whatever he wanted in his life.

And Glen on an Ovation electric 12 string - the smartest thing that company ever did was getting Glen Campbell on the program.

I don't like an Ovation guitar. I have a friend that uses one on a show and I play it ocassionally. If you're standing when you play it, the curved back makes it want to roll back and forth like it's trying to turn upside down. Yes, smart move to get Glen to play one.

RC