Posted on 06/22/2011 3:29:40 PM PDT by FlJoePa
Glen Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the 75-year-old country singer, songwriter and guitarist and his wife, Kim, have told People magazine, a condition that has prompted him to describe a new album coming in August as his final recording.
"Glen is still an awesome guitar player and singer," Kim said in the interview. "But if he flubs a lyric or gets confused onstage, I wouldn’t want people to think, 'What's the matter with him? Is he drunk?' "
Campbell is planning a series of concerts this fall in support of the album, “Ghost on the Canvas,” due Aug. 30. He is working again with producer Julian Raymond, who helped rejuvenate Campbell’s career in 2008 on “Meet Glen Campbell,” a collection of surprising song choices including Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” the Velvet Underground’s “Jesus,” Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ “Walls” and the Replacements' “Sadly Beautiful.”
Shortly after that album was released, Campbell told The Times: "I'd like to see it go up the charts, go platinum and win the Grammy," he said. "Then I'd retire."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Ah, I had just put his song Gentle on My Mind on my FR page a few days ago. Wow, 75! We don’t get long on this Earth, do we? Hope he can stay as well as he can for a while.
He played here in Indy at the new Carmel Palladium a few weeks ago and it was bad, I mean Amy Winehouse bad.
So this is very plausible.
Now charging 80 bucks a ticket for this is a bit indefensible.
Yeah, ticket prices for anything are sick. Cost me over $50 a ticket the last time I saw Iron Maiden. It’s criminal.
He was an awesome musician in his prime. And I never use that word.
Sad... a lot of great childhood memories listening to him.
Godspeed Glen.
I loved ‘Galveston’ and ‘Witcha Lineman’.
Wichita
I read about that concert. As you stated, this would seem to be both an explanation for the performance, as well as a reason for the revelation being made public.
“But if he flubs a lyric or gets confused onstage, I wouldn’t want people to think, ‘What’s the matter with him? Is he drunk?’”
It’s too bad, I always liked his work... However, I’ve had 40 years experience with Parkinson’s, and Parkinson’s doesn’t manifest it’s self with a confused mind. That’s simply not symptomatic of Parkinson’s. That’s not to say he doesn’t have Parkinson’s, it’s just that he has something else too.
Best wishes to Mr. Campbell for comfort in his last years. He’s been a very fine performer.
That’s too bad.
Woops, my bad... I read it as Parkinson’s where it was Alzheimer’s. Boy am I embarrassed.
Alzheimer’s
Campbell comes from a huge and humble family in Arkansas. Good folks. He’s one of 12, as I recall, and grew up in poverty. His sister is a friend of mine and a sweet Christian lady, as was his mother, Carrie.
“Alzheimer’s”
Yea, I know... See 16
One of top studio guitarists in LA during the 1960s. That’s him, not Carl Wilson that you hear on Beach Boys records.
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