Glen Campbell may be dead now, but during his lifetime he placed himself firmly in the annals of musical heroes of the golden age, dead or alive. He lived and made music during the same era when the world enjoyed big names such as Dolly Patton, Jim Reeves and Smokie Robinson. Yet he’s managed over 70 albums, 80 talk songs, 45 million worldwide record sales, and numerous album awards and certifications.
Glen may have had his best years in music in the 60s and 70s, but he left behind memories that will last forever.
Glen Campbell Wiki and Net Worth
All his life, Campbell was surrounded by family too numerous to count. He was born on April 22, 1936, in Arkansas, into a family of twelve children. His parents, John Wesley and Carrie Dell (Stone) Campbell didn’t have it easy with money. They were small farmers who grew crops such as cotton, potatoes, corn, and watermelon to survive, but they barely got by. His family had to earn extra income by picking cotton for $1.25 a pound for large farmers.
Glen Campbell’s family was musical. He owes his first musical inspirations to his uncle Boo who bought him a guitar at age four and taught him the basics of the instrument. He continued to improve his skills by listening to the radio and records such as Django Reinhardt, a man he considered the greatest guitarist of all time.
He would later drop out of school and move to Houston with this brother when he was 14, where they worked installing insulation and then a gas station. Meanwhile, Glen Campbell continued to find time to make music. He performed at music fairs, church picnics, in the church choir, at local radio stations and, later, in an appearance at a local disco. At 17, Campbell moved to Albuquerque to join his uncle’s band, Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys. While there, he also participated in the radio show Oncles and the children’s television channel KOB. Four years later, in 1958, he formed his own band, The Western Wranglers.
In 1961, he joined Les Champs during the day job, writing lyrics and recording demos. As his demand as a session musician grew, he joined a band of session musicians, The Wrecking Crew. In this capacity, Glen was able to work with heavy hitters such as The Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and most advantageously, Elvis Presley with whom he formed a friendship due to their shared humble beginnings.
Solo career
His solo career began in 1961, after he was signed by Crest Records and released his debut single, Turn Around, Look at Me which peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100.He joined Capital Records in 1962 and after some average successes, he had a great career in his career.
After a brief immersion in musical prowess, the rest of the 60s and 70s became the best musical period of his career. Campbell’s Songs of 1967 Sweet On My Mind and As I Come To Phoenix broke a massive record by winning four Grammys. His 1968 songs, I Want to Live and Wichita Lineman stayed on the Billboard Top 100 for 15 consecutive weeks.
His songs Strass cowboys and Nuits du sud, in the mid-1970s, they were both number one American hits. Rhinestone Cowboys sold over 2 million copies and has been used in many films and television series such as High School and Desperate Housewives. It was also the inspiration for the eponymous film, Strass by Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Patton.
TV shows
Glen Campbell also has a good portfolio as a guest and television show host. He had his own television and comedy show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, which aired on CBS television from 1969 to June 1972. He was able to host music greats such as The Beatles, Johnny Cash and Roger Miller, through his connections to his time as a session musician.
From 1964, he appeared regularly and sparingly in different television shows. He was a regular on the syndicated TV series, Star Route, anchored by Rod Cameron, Hollywood Jamboree, ABC Shindig, the Merv Griffin Show and the American Music Awards. He also co-starred or had cameos in films such as 1974 ‘s Strange Return and Clint Eastwood’s 1980 film Anyway, for which he recorded the title track.
In 2005, Glen Campbell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He would go on to record his last three albums, Meet Glen Campbell and Ghost on the Web in 2008 and 2010 respectively and Adios, written in 2012 and released in June 2017.
His last tour, The Farewell Tour, following the announcement of his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. This was followed by his final single in January 2013, I Won’t Miss You. The song was featured on the 2014 documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me. His wife, Kim Campbell, received the Career Achievement Award on his behalf at the ACM’s 10th Annual Honors Ceremony, where Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and a few 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.
Glen Campbell’s Wife, Children, Family, Son, Height
Glen came from a large family and produced one too. He had four marriages. From these relations, 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. He married Sarah Barg in September of that year and they had one child, Dillon, before divorced in 1980.
Post-Sarah, he had a brief romantic feud with country artist, Tanya Tucker before his marriage to Kim Woolen in 1982. They had three children. Cal, Shannon and Ashley, all of whom joined as a replacement in 2010 in his position. Good Bye Tour.
Before his death, his two eldest children sued Kim Campbell, because they did not like the way he managed his assets and took care of him.
The famous 6-foot 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 aired specials celebrating his career while interviewing personalities who worked with him throughout his life.