GLEN CAMPBELL
Born in Delight, Ark. in 1936, Glen Campbell received his first guitar when he was 4-years-old. While studying the recordings of jazz guitarists Barney Kessel and Django Reinhardt, Campbell learned to sing at church. At 14, he began performing in Country Music bands across Arkansas, New Mexico and Texas; at 18, his band, the Western Wranglers, toured the South; and at 22, he moved to Los Angeles to become a session musician.
During the early '60s, Campbell played guitar on records for The Association, Bobby Darin, Merle Haggard, Dean Martin, The Mamas and the Papas, The Monkees, Ricky Nelson, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and many others. He released a couple of pop singles on the Crest and Capitol Records labels with limited success. He also sang and played guitar on "Kentucky Means Paradise" by the Green River Boys, which became a Top 20 Country hit in 1962. In 1965, Campbell became a touring member of the Beach Boys for several months after Brian Wilson retired from the road.
Capitol Records, the label home of the Beach Boys, soon offered Campbell his own recording contract, and in 1967, he hit No. 18 on the Country charts with "Burning Bridges." Although promoted as a Country artist, Campbell quickly became a popular crossover artist. "Gentle on My Mind" hit the Top 40 of both the Country and pop charts; and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" reached No. 2 on the Country chart and No. 26 on the pop chart. His successful singles continued with "I Wanna Live" and "Dreams of the Everyday Housewife."
CBS Television made Campbell a household name in 1968 when "The Glen Campbell Good-Time Hour" debuted on the air. For four years, Campbell hosted his successful television series, introducing musical talents such as John Hartford and Jerry Reed to the nation. During this time, Campbell remained a dominant force on the radio with "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "Try a Little Kindness" and other songs. He recorded duets with Bobbie Gentry, resulting in two hit remakes of the Everly Brothers classics "Let It Be Me" and "All I Have to Do is Dream." In 1969, he made his film debut in the John Wayne classic "True Grit." And in 1972, he hosted "The Sixth Annual CMA Awards," which was broadcast on CBS.
In 1975, Campbell topped both the Country and pop charts with the song that would become his signature tune, "Rhinestone Cowboy." He continued to have Top 10 success on the Country charts with singles including "Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)" and "Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Him Good-bye" before returning to the No. 1 spot on both the Country and pop charts with "Southern Nights" in 1977.
Throughout the '80s, Campbell remained a presence on Country radio with songs "Faithless Love," "A Lady Like You," "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle," "I Have You," "She's Gone, Gone, Gone" and many more. Moving into the '90s, Campbell recorded inspirational music and performed regularly at his Goodtime Theater in Branson, Mo. He published his autobiography, Rhinestone Cowboy, in 1994.
Throughout more than four decades, Campbell celebrated more than 75 songs on the Country charts; 35 of which crossed over to the pop charts. He received two CMA Awards in 1968, for Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. He has received one Double Platinum, five Platinum and 12 Gold album certifications from the RIAA. He also received Gold single certifications for "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Southern Nights."