Glen Campbell

An entertainment giant, Glen Campbell is known for his ability to spot his songs, his brilliant musicianship, and his intuitive song styling. Glen is one of those rare artists who was able to take country music into the mainstream without losing an ounce of his country integrity or his roots.

In that respect he fits into a category with legends such as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, and contemporary superstars such as Garth Brooks-artists who fit into no musical mold, the niche they carved being absolutely unique.

A native of Delight, Arkansas, Glen Campbell started out early in music. When he was four, his father bought Glen a five-dollar Sears Roebuck guitar, and within two years Campbell was an accomplished picker. By the age of 14, Glen left home to pursue music full-time. He started with a three piece band led by his uncle, Dick Bills, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, later touring the Southwest with his own band. At 24, Campbell moved to Los Angeles, where he quickly found studio work as a guitarist playing on records for such artists as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, merle Haggard and Elvis Presley. He even toured as a member of the Beach Boys. In 1961 he released a single on a regional label that caused Capital Records to sign him as an artist.

The year 1967 was a landmark for Glen. In July he released a song that would become one of the most played in the history of country music: GENTLE ON MY MIND. The song initially only went to #30 in Billboard, but is has continued to generate airplay for decades. In October of '67, Glen's BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX was released and quickly climbed to #2 on the country charts and top-20 in pop. In1968, I WANNA LIVE stayed at #1 for three straight weeks on the country charts and made pop's top 40. He followed that success with another pop/country hit, THE DREAMS OF THE EVERYDAY HOUSEWIFE, then found himself in a unique position, when GENTLE ON MY MIND made a second chart climb. That fall, Glen came to CBS Television replacing the Smothers Brothers with the "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" where he enjoyed four successful seasons. In November of 1968, Capitol released WICHITA LINEMAN, yet another of Campbell's, signature hits. It stayed at country's #1 for 2 weeks and hit #3 in the pop charts Early in '69, the hit song Galveston stayed at #1 for 3 straight weeks, and was another top-5 pop hit.

Clearly, in rock's late-60s heydays, Glen Campbell was standing tall. He had a hit with "True Grit," and co-starred in the film with John Wayne. Through the last part of the '60s and into the early '70s, Glen stayed in the upper realm of the charts. In 1974 he scored his first across-the-board #1: RHINESTONE COWBOY topped country's charts for 3 weeks as well as taking pop's top slot. He repeated that double threat chart action in 1977 with the #1 pop and country hit, SOUTHERN NIGHTS. In fact, Glen Campbell has never strayed far from the top of the charts. His is one of the most long lasting and formidable chart histories among country musicians.

In 1987 his STILL WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY VOICE became one the year's most played, and that same year he scored a major duet hit with Steve Wariner. Glen has also taken home more awards than most performers. He made history by winning a Grammy in both country and pop in 1967 GENTLE ON MY MIND took top country honors and BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX won in pop. He's been named Male Vocalist of the Year by both the CMA and the ACM, and the CMA's Entertainer of theYear. Glen's albums have sold in the multiples of millions, and his unique style has catapulted him into a category all his own. He's near perfect blend of country, pop, rock, folk and jazz.

His five year continuing association with New Haven Records performing gospel music has garnered him a well deserved Dove Award and a brand new following. In 1994 Glen released the successful NO MORE NIGHT video to the Christian market. The video was received with critical acclaim. Like other artists, Glen agonized over whether or not he should write an autobiography and over how much of his life he wanted to reveal. His collaborative effort with famed writer Tom Carter, co-author of the autobiographies of Ronnie Milsap, Ralph Emery and more recently, Reba McEntire, produced an enlightening and exciting tale of his life. RHINESTONE COWBOY was released April 1994. 1997 marks the release of THE GLEN CAMPBELL COLLECTION (1962-1989) a double CD set by Razor & Tie Entertainment. Other recent CD/cassette releases include 1996's JESUS AND ME (New Haven Records) and 1994's THE BOY IN ME (New Haven Records) and LIVE FROM BRANSON (Laserlight).