Artist Biography - Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell


	Home Biographies On The Fringe Artist Profile Archives News Flash Message Board Reader's Poll Fan Pics Photo Album Merchandise Artist Websites Related Sites Website Resources Contact Us Get the latest Countrypolitan news! Join our mailing list today! Click Here				After more than thirty years as one of the most successful stars in the music business, Glen Campbell says it's not the stardom that drives him. "I'm a musician - a guitar player, and a singer," he explains. "And I love playing. That's the fun of it." Music has been the driving force in Glen Campbell's life since he learned how to play guitar at the age of four. Born in Delight, Arkansas, and raised on a farm in nearby Billstown, he is the seventh son in a family of eight boys and four girls, all of whom played guitar and sang. At the age of 14, he left home to pursue his music. He started with a three-piece band in Houston. Then he moved to Albuquerque and joined a Western swing band led by his uncle, Dick Bills. The band played everything from Sons of the Pioneers songs to Jimmy Dorsey tunes, and Campbell's musical tastes soon ran the gamut, from the Grand Ole Opry and church choir singing of his early years to the jazz guitar stylings of Django Reinhardt and Barney Kessell. At 24, Campbell moved to Los Angeles, where he quickly found studio work as a guitarist. He also toured with the Champs, who had the 1958 #1 single "Tequila." His first success came with a pop ballad, "Turn Around, Look at Me," on the Crest label. He then signed with Capitol, where his singing and instumental prowess were showcased on a bluegrass album, Big Bluegrass Special. In the meantime, Campbell had all the session work he could want. He played on records by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and the Mamas and the Papas. In 1965, he even toured as a member of the Beach Boys during the absence of Brian Wilson. Finally, in 1967, Campbell made a breakthrough under his own name. He took a song that appeared to be all wrong for a pop hit, with a rambling lyric, no chorus and a folk-country feel. For the first of many times to come, he recorded a song simply because he thought it was a great song, and "Gentle on My Mind" went on to become not only his signature song, but one of the most played singles in history. He immediately showed another side of his talent with a ballad, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." He hosted a summer replacement TV show for the Smothers Brothers in 1968, which was so successful that he had his own show, "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour," through 1972. Unlike many recording artists, whose singing careers sputter with weekly TV exposure, Campbell got hotter. He had a pair of gold singles in 1969 with "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston." He had pop hits that ranged in style from the theme of the movie "True Grit" to the black gospel standard "Oh Happy Day." He hit #1 on the country, pop and easy-listening charts in 1975 with "Rhinestone Cowboy," and he topped the pop charts again in 1977 with "Southern Nights." Both were million-selling singles. He starred in two movies, True Grit (with John Wayne) and Norwood, and he recorded an album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1982, Campbell moved to Atlantic Records. "A Lady Like You" topped the country charts and "Faithless Love" was nominated for a Grammy. He hosted his own HBO special in 1985, "The Silver Anniversary of the Rhinestone Cowboy." In 1987, Campbell signed with MCA, which reunited him with producer Jimmy Bowen. Their first effort together on MCA, Still Within the Sound of My Voice, yielded four hit singles. Their second, Light Years, featured the songs of Jim Webb, writer of many of Campbell's early hits. Glen recently returned to his gospel roots and has recorded three Christian albums for New Haven Records. 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 the Year. Glen's albums have sold in the multiples of millions, and his unique style has catapulted him into a catagory all his own. He's a near perfect blend of country, pop, rock, folk and jazz. In 1992, Glen signed with the Grand Palace to headline what was then Branson, Missouri's newest theatre. 1996 marked the third season in which Glen starred at his own "Glen Campbell Goodtime Theatre," a state-of-the-art theatre in Branson, built to his own specifications. After five successful years in Branson, Glen is now back on the road playing selected dates for public and corporate audiences around the world. He loves touring, and has recently generated incredible headlines in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, as well as in the United States. Keep an eye out as Glen is always popping up here and there on many national TV shows and specials. *From Glen Campbell's Official Website.*

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