Country Star Glen Campbell Has Alzheimer's -- Profile of a Rhinestone Cowboy

True Grit

When the Coen Brothers' remake of "True Grit" came out in 2010,the role of Texas Ranger LaBoeuf was played by superstar Matt Damon . However, in the original 1968 version, country musicstar Glen Campbell played LaBoeuf opposite movie star John Wayne. Glen Campbell has had a diverse career, from singing star, to movie star and even host of his own television show. It is with great sadness his many fans learned on June 23that the 76-year-old Campbell has Alzheimer's disease.

Rhinestone Cowboy

Although he has released more than 70 albums during his long career, covering country, pop, bluegrass and gospel genres,Campbell is best known for songs like "Gentle on My Mind," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," and "Rhinestone Cowboy." Campbell's musical tastes have always been varied, and he has frequently recorded songs, not because they had "hit" written all over them, but simply because he thought they were great songs.

From Arkansas to Los Angeles

The son of a sharecropper, Cambell started singing and playing the guitar ar a young boy and sang in the church choir. Acording to Countrypolitan.com, he left home at 14 to pursue a career in music. By the time he was 24, Glen Campbell was part of the Los Angeles music scene and soon became a popular session player for artists including the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and the Mamas and the Papas.

Gentle on My Mind

Cambell's own success as an artists started with his first single, the folk song "Turn Around, Look at Me" which he recorded on the Crest label. However, he became an overnight sensation in 1967 with the Capitol Records song which became his signature song, "Gentle on My Mind." After that, Campbell released a string of hits which crossed country and pop barriers, although his later hits were all country songs.

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

According to Examiner, Campbell was also a gospel recording artist, and the winner of several Dove Award between 1986 and 2000. Besides "True Grit," Campbell has appeared in several other films and can be seen briefly in the 1965 film "Baby the Rain Must Fall" with Steve McQueen, playing guitar. He was also host of "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" music and variety show from the late 1960s through 1972.

The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour

Campbell's representative Bobbie Gale made the announcement of Cambell's illness on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. Although Campbell has experienced some short term memory loss for a while, he was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's six months ago. His wife Kim told People magazine that they were making a public statement about the disease because Campbell is about to embark on his "The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour" and fans might wonder if he becomes confused on stage or forgets lyrics. Campbell is also scheduled to release his last CD "Ghost on the Canvas" in August.

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