I am a lineman for the county......

Hank3fan's Avatar
The Wichita Lineman/Rhinestone Cowboy Glenn Campbell died today....
Not many old schoolers left.
DFWClubgoer's Avatar
Damn shame his special on CNN was a great insight into Alzheimer's.
Chung Tran's Avatar
one of my favorite concerts was a show at Verizon back in 2010.

the "bogus" Beach Boys Band (no Wilson brothers, just Mike Love, and Bruce Johnston, and some hired hands), with Glen Campbell and BJ Thomas opening.. I knew of Campbell's Beach Boys connection, filling in for Brian Wilson on a mid-60's tour, playing guitar and banjo on a few records, including Pet Sounds.. I hoped somebody involved would arrange for Campbell to play on a few Beach Boys songs at the concert.. he did.. first and last time since the 1960's, IIRC.

Glenn looked uneasy onstage, but he had not tackled those songs in more than 40 years.. it was cool just seeing him do it.. I remember his daughter led him off stage, and you could hear Glen say loudly "which way do I go"? I thought it was a corny schtick line, like he often delivered on his Glen Campbell Goodtime hour TV Show.. not long after, he got the Alzheimer's diagnosis, and I realized it was showing at that concert.
Rest well, Glenn. We will miss you.

Here is a good movie scene featuring Glenn performing for Clint Eastwood...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AhTPUkhaocI
TinMan's Avatar
That's one talented dude we lost today.
TexTushHog's Avatar
Saw a great documentary film on The Wrecking Crew not too long ago that had a number of snippets of interviews with him. He was famous for being a member of The Wrecking Crew before his solo career. A long ride for him. A great player.

Also saw a fairly recent interview with he and Jimmy Webb (speaking of Wichita Lineman). Webb, as great a composer as America has had in the second half of the twentieth century, said Campbell did his songs better than anyone, which is high praise indeed give his many folks do Jimmy Webb songs.
Even though the Oscar went to John Wayne, who can forget Campbell's role as determined Texas Ranger, La Boeuf, in (the original 1969 version), True Grit?

That flick btw was chock full of great performers....Robert Duvall as Lucky Ned Pepper....Dennis Hopper as Moon and character actor, Strother Martin as Colonel Stonehill (who perhaps is more remembered for uttering that immortalized line, "What we have here is a failure to communicate" in 1967 ("Cool Hand Luke")....

One last blurb per True Grit....the producers originally wanted Elvis Presley to play the role of La Boeuf (however) his agent wanted him to receive Top Billing (over Wayne and Kim Darby)....lol. The producers axed that idea immediately and cast Campbell instead.

And now...you know....the rest of the story. RIP Glenn...
Hank3fan's Avatar
character actor, Strother Martin as Colonel Stonehill (who perhaps is more remembered for uttering that immortalized line, "What we have here is a failure to communicate" in 1967 ("Cool Hand Luke")... Originally Posted by Chateau Becot


Not to take away from Glenn but where is Strother Martins Acadamy Award. That man had some of the best classic movie lines of all time. Slap Shot, Butch Cassidy, Cool Hand Luke, and my personal favorite Cheech an Chong Up in Smoke.
That GOD DAMN FINKELSTEIN SHIT KID!!!!! SON OF A BITCH!!!!!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x9vA-5iavlY
I saw Glen Campbell when I was a kid. The show opener was Bobbi Gentry. So Yeah - way back in the late 1960s or maybe early 1970s. Glen was a hell of a guitarist and songwriter! The movie about the Wrecking Crew that he was a part of was fantastic - I had no idea that those guys were on the recordings of so many songs I loved.

RIP Glen Campbell
TheWanderer's Avatar
One last blurb per True Grit....the producers originally wanted Elvis Presley to play the role of La Boeuf (however) his agent wanted him to receive Top Billing (over Wayne and Kim Darby)....lol. The producers axed that idea immediately and cast Campbell instead.

And now...you know....the rest of the story. RIP Glenn... Originally Posted by Chateau Becot
I did not know that but that's one more movie role that the Colonel Tom Parker fucked up for Elvis. He just kept him in quick money making beach blanket bingo movies when Elvis was actually a pretty decent actor himself. Did you know Elvis was offered the role for A Star Is Born but Colonel Tom messed that one up too.
But this is about Glen. I thought he was great in True Grit. With limited acting experience, he brought a lot of realism to that role. He was a natural.
I remember him playing the guitar with Roy Clark. He could hang with Roy note for note and that's saying something.
I'll double down on the "I saw Glen Campbell when . . . "

He was a 15 year guitar player on the Dick Bills Show in Albuquerque -- K Circle B.

Figure around late 50s/early 60s.

If you never heard him play Beach Boys tunes, you missed an incredible guitarist!
DallasRain's Avatar
RIP...a talented guy!
Chung Tran's Avatar
I saw Glen Campbell when I was a kid. The show opener was Bobbi Gentry. So Yeah - way back in the late 1960s or maybe early 1970s. Originally Posted by themoose
I'll double down on the "I saw Glen Campbell when . . . "

He was a 15 year guitar player on the Dick Bills Show in Albuquerque -- K Circle B.

Figure around late 50s/early 60s.
Originally Posted by MooneyFlyer
one of my favorite concerts was a show at Verizon back in 2010.
Originally Posted by Chung Tran
damn! you guys make me feel like a Puppy
fireguydfw's Avatar
For those of who are real fans, this is an incredible interview from way behind the scenes of his life
https://youtu.be/B6q2hsdXenQ