Text by Dawoud Kringle
On Tuesday, August 8th, 2017, following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, Glen Campbell died.
Born in Billstown, AR in 1936, Campbell began to play guitar at age four. With no formal training, he was found to be a natural. At age six, he performed on local radio programs. He later said his biggest influence was Django Reinhardt. In 1954, at age 17, Campbell moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to join his uncle’s band, known as Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys, and i n 1958, Campbell formed his own band, the Western Wranglers.
In 1960, Campbell moved to Los Angeles and found immediate success as a session musician. In ensuing years, he worked with artists such as Bobby Darin, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, the Monkees, Nancy Sinatra, Merle Haggard, Jan and Dean, Frank Sinatra, Phil Spector and Elvis Presley. After his solo career took off, he’d still do occasional session work with popular artists such as the Monkees and the Beach Boys.
