Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell once described his music as a "crock." It was his tongue-in-cheek answer to people who would categorize him as either a country or a pop artist. From his country beginnings in Arkansas and Texas, to becoming a top pop session guitarist in Los Angeles, through stints with The Stamps and The Beach Boys, Glen laid a foundation in both musical worlds. When he became a recording artist in the early 1960s, it was not surprising that his biggest country hits like "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston" and "Rhinestone Cowboy", were also his biggest pop hits. Rather than describe himself as a country-to-pop cross over artist Glen says, "I'm not country per se, but I am a country boy who sings." That's an accurate description a man who became an American music icon whose universal appeal spans four decades.

Glen (b. Billstown, Arkansas, April 22, '36) has deep country roots and extraordinary talents that appeared early. Raised in Delight, Arkansas one of 11 children in a family where everybody picked and sang, Glen was handed his first guitar when he was just four. He learned from siblings and relatives at first. Later he learned by listening to masters such as Django Reignhardt and Barney Kessel, while his vocal ability developed by singing in the local Church of Christ.

By age 14, he outgrew the local music scene and the lifestyle, he said, "I spent the early part of my life looking at the north end of a southbound mule and it didn't take long to figure out that a guitar was a lot lighter than a plow handle." He headed for New Mexico and Houston, Texas, but he didn't stray too far from the family circle. He spent several years in the band of his uncle, Dick Bills. They toured what Glen called the "dancin' and fightin' clubs" where he learned as much about life as he did about music. He learned a lot more about both when he moved to California at age 22.

In 1960, Glen was in Los Angeles and had little trouble adjusting to big city life. He told reporter Scott Cohen, "I used growing up in the country as an advantage. People are curious when you have an accent. Then I started doing studio work. Musicians don't care where you're from or what color you are, they judge you by your talent." Judging by the amount of session work Glen received, his talent was world class as played on records by Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Rick Nelson, The Monkees, Mamas and the Papas, The Association, Merle Haggard, Ray Charles and Elvis.

He made his first chart appearance in 1962 scoring a top 20 country hit as the featured singer and picker with the Green Mountain Boys. At one point he toured with The Champs and in 1965 he became a temporary member of The Beach Boys. After filling in for Brian Wilson for six months. they asked him to become a permanent member. "But they withdrew the offer when I asked for an equal split," Glen recalls. Just as well they didn't take him on since, just a few months later, he had his own recording contract with Capitol Records.

His first single "Burning Bridges" showed his potential as a country act when it hit number 18 in early '67. In the summer of that year he released "Gentle on My Mind." It only got up to number 30 on the country chart, but it put his name on the pop chart laying ground for his next release, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," a number two country smash, that went to 26 pop. More big hits followed in rapid succession, "I Wanna Live," "Dreams of the Everyday Housewife" and "Wichita Lineman," "Wichita Lineman" was such a huge hit (1, country, 3 pop) it helped Glen land his own national television show The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour('68 to '72).

Glen became a perennial presence on the country chart on through to the 1990s contributing classic, cross-over hits like "Galveston," and two country and pop number one hits, "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Southern Nights."

Throughout his career Glen considered himself to be a top guitarist who sang. He almost always played lead guitar on his recording sessions. "If there is a guitar solo, I might as well play the guitar because I have to do it on stage. Besides that, I don't know anybody who can do it better," Glen asserts. That confidence is just one secret to Glen's success. In the final analysis, he credits the time he spent working with his Uncle Dick Bills for his wide appeal and eclectic music influences. He says, "I joined his band when I was 15 and we had a half hour show, five days a week on station K O B E in Albuquerque (N.M.). That experience gave me an appreciation for a variety of music. We played everything from old country standards from Hank Snow, I played Les Paul and Mary Ford things, we did old pop standards and current hits from Hank Cochran to Elvis. I went to college working for Dick and got my graduate degree working those sessions in Los Angeles."

In the mid 1990s Glen became one of the most popular acts on the Branson, Missouri theater circuit.

Top Albums

  • Rhinestone Cowboy (Capitol, '75)
  • Bloodline (Capitol, '76)
  • Southern Lights (Capitol, '77)
  • Letter to Home (Atlantic America, '84)

Top Songs

  • By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Capitol, '67, 2, Pop 26)
  • Witchita Lineman (Capitol, '68, 2, Pop 3)
  • Gaveston (Capitol, '69, 1, Pop 4)
  • Rhinstone Cowboy (Capitol, '75, 1, Pop 1)
  • Southern Nights (Capitol, '77, 1, Pop 1)
  • Gentle on My Mind (Capitol, '67, 30)