Glen Campbell has Alzheimer's. And that makes me very sad. I, like millions of other ordinary people, always liked Campbell's music, although critics were never kind to him. Which is ironic, since he was one of the top interpreters (along with the 5th Dimension) of the songs of Jimmy Webb, whom the same critics generally consider one of the best songwriters of his generation (and rightly so).
Here's a live performance of his first great Jimmy Webb song, "Wichita Lineman":
Campbell is also a much under-appreciated guitarist. Check out the fine picking starting about 1:15 on this live performance of my favorite Glen Campbell song, "Gentle On My Mind" (a John Hartford song):
And here are Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb together performing a slow, hauntingly beautiful version of Webb's "Galveston":
I hope you like those. If so, check out Campbell's farewell album, "Ghost On the Canvas," when it's released August 30th. It sounds like it's going to be pretty wonderful.
UPDATE: Speaking of fine picking, here's a video I watched after posting this — Campbell playing "William Tell Overture":
Wow.
UPDATE2: I'm still checking out Glen Campbell videos on YouTube, and I found this one, and just I have to share it. "MacArthur Park" was certainly Jimmy Webb's most complex and enigmatic composition. Actor Richard Harris did the classic performance back in 1968. But here's a 2002 Glen Campbell live version that blew my socks off. Check out his guitar work:
