Happy 80th birthday to Glen Campbell who was born on 4/22/36. Campbell’s hits include his recordings of John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind”;Jimmy Webb’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, “Wichita Lineman”, and “Galveston”; Larry Weiss’s “Rhinestone Cowboy”; and Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” which catapulted him into one of country music’s biggest draws. An interesting note is that from December 1964 to early March 1965, Campbell was a touring member of the Beach Boys, filling in for Brian Wilson. He also played guitar on the group’s Pet Sounds album, among other recordings. Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 5 years ago and following a final goodbye tour is now in private care for the disease. Watch Campbell perform “Gentle on My Mind” live in 1984 with Willie Nelson.
