He Had A Dark Side
To the music-loving audience, Glen Campbell was the golden boy of country music. But behind the scenes was a completely different matter. Failed marriages, turbulent romances, and a collection of vices kept this guitar-playing crooner from finding the happiness he craved so much. He finally found his peace on a golf course with a surprising and unlikely companion. Too bad it came just a little too late.
1. He Ate Something Strange
Glen Travis Campbell was born in the tiny town of Billstown, Arkansas. He grew up on a farm where his family grew things like potatoes, corn, cotton, and even watermelons. Sometimes money was so scarce that they had to eat squirrel just to survive.
But something was coming in Campbell’s direction that would change his life forever.
2. He Got A Surprising Gift
The Campbells were so poor that they didn’t even have electricity in their house. It was a good thing, then, that Dad brought home an acoustic guitar and not an electric one. He’d dug deep into his pockets and managed to pull out five dollars for a guitar from Sears. Glen Campbell was four years old at this time.
In two years, little Glen Campbell was doing something amazing.
3. He Was Self-Taught
Campbell was only six when he started playing guitar for local radio stations. He still had to work on the farm, but every chance he got, he practiced his guitar. He had no teacher, but he listened to the radio to learn how to play better and better. Of course, picking away at his guitar wasn't bringing money in, so when he turned 14, Campbell made a big decision.
4. He Tried Normal Jobs
Campbell was in 10th grade when he decided he should quit school and make some money. His brothers were already in Houston working, and he decided to join them. He tried installing insulation and pumping gas, but none of it interested him as much as playing the guitar. He did play a little around Houston, but it wasn't until he was 17 that his big break arrived.
5. He Made A Move
Campbell’s uncle lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and he had his own band. Campbell made a trip where he played with his uncle’s band and appeared on his radio show. When he got the chance to be on TV, he got much more than a paycheck.
6. He Married Young
Glen Campbell had received an offer to be on a children's program on KOB television. There, he met Diane Marie Kirk. The two tied the knot at the courthouse in Bernalillo County. Campbell was just 18 years old, while Kirk was 16 and also pregnant at the time.
Sadly, this teenage marriage would begin with tragedy.
7. They Lost One
The same year that they tied the knot, Campbell and his young wife had a child. Glen Travis Campbell Jr was born two months earlier than he was supposed to. This was on July 25, 1955. Sadly, he only lived a few days. The devastated couple then had a healthy baby girl, Deborah Kay, the following year.
But Campbell was not about to let fatherhood stand in the way of his music career.
8. He Tried Rock And Roll
Glen Campbell made a move in 1960 to Los Angeles, where he became a session musician. One of his first moves was to join a rock band called The Champs. While Campbell mostly focused on country music, The Champs had a Latin feel to them. In fact, they're the ones responsible for the much-parodied song “Tequila”.
But The Champs was just a stepping stone. Campbell was ready to work with the big stars of music.
9. He Played Around
Around this time, Campbell joined a group of other session musicians called The Wrecking Crew. You’d have a hard time finding a musician of this time that Campbell didn’t play with. You can hear his guitar on recordings of The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Sammy Davis Jr, and many others.
But there was one star who Campbell felt a kindred spirit.
10. He Made Friends With The King
When Glen Campbell worked on the soundtrack for Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley, the two men became friends. What drew them together was a common background: both men grew up picking cotton and living a simple rural life. While Campbell’s background may have been simple, his love life was anything but.
11. He Found A New One
Campbell had married Diane Marie Kirk back in 1955. In 1959, he got a divorce and didn't wait too long to remarry. He didn’t find a wife in the music business, as so many musicians do; he found a beautician. Campbell and Billie Jean Nunley tied the knot on September 20, 1959. Before their divorce in 1976, they would have three children, giving Campbell a running total of four.
Between marriages and having kids, Campbell found time to form his own band.
12. He Went Out On His Own
In 1961, Glen Campbell signed on to Crest Records and released “Turn Around, Look at Me”. While this was only a moderate success, it led Campbell to form his own band. He called this band The Gee Cees, which we can guess stood for the Glen Campbells. The problem was that this name sounded like another, much more well-known band.
13. He Made A Poor Name Choice
The name of Campbell’s band—The Gee Cees—sounded a lot like Australia’s The Bee Gees. Things got even more confusing when The Bee Gees also recorded a cover of “Turn Around, Look at Me”. Strangely, neither The Cee Gees nor The Bee Gees had much luck with the song. The 1968 version by The Vogues was the most popular.
When Campbell started working with an orchestra, he ran into an embarrassing problem.
14. He Couldn’t Read Music
As a session musician, Glen Campbell was everywhere. In fact, you can hear him playing on 586 recordings. While this number is staggering, there’s something more surprising: Campbell never learned to read music. Eventually, Campbell got a gig recording with a huge orchestra. How was he going to play with a crowd of professionals and not read music?
15. He Learned Fast
When Campbell worked with a large orchestra, he came clean about the fact that he could not read music. The orchestra kindly did Campbell a favor. They played the piece once through, and the very skilled Campbell could pick it from there. But Campbell was not going to find fame as a studio musician. He had to get himself out there.
Luckily, a big break was coming his way.
16. He Filled His Shoes
The Beach Boys were one of the hottest bands at the time. They were so popular that Brian Wilson was coming unglued due to the stress. In 1965, when they needed to replace Wilson for a tour, they called on Glen Campbell. He fit right in with his bass guitar and falsetto voice. As a reward for saving the Beach Boys’ tour, Wilson had a present for Campbell.
17. He Made Huge Leaps
Brian Wilson had co-written a song called “Guess I’m Dumb”. He offered the song to Campbell and also offered to produce it for him. This difficult song required Campbell to jump octaves. Sadly, it failed to chart at all. But don’t worry, Campbell’s first hit was just around the corner.
18. He Showed His Politics
In 1965, Glen Campbell recorded a cover of a song by Buffy Sainte-Marie. “Universal Soldier” had a strong pacifist message that seemed to be a response to the American troops headed to the conflict in Vietnam. Campbell had never spoken about his feelings toward the Vietnam conflict, and this song seemed to be putting his beliefs out there.
But the truth was something completely different.
19. He Suggested A Harsh Punishment
When Campbell released “Universal Soldier”, most believed they were getting an insight into Campbell’s anti-war attitude. But when asked about the young men who were burning their draft cards, Campbell shocked listeners with his answer. He believed that their punishment should be hanging.
Campbell was about to get his own punishment: from his record company.
20. He Risked Losing It
“Universal Soldier” was Campbell’s biggest hit so far, but he failed to follow it up with another one. It got so bad that Capitol Records was ready to let him go. Capitol decided to give him one last chance. They partnered him up with producer Al De Lory and gave them orders to make a hit song. The result was “Burning Bridges”, which became a top 20 hit for country music.
Campbell had found a partner who could take him to the next level.
21. He Was A Multi-Award Winner
Glen Campbell and De Lory went on to make hits out of "Gentle on My Mind” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”. At the 1967 Grammy Awards, Campbell ended up taking home four trophies, two for each hit song. The following year, his album By the Time I Get to Phoenix beat out The Beatles and received the honor of Album of the Year.
Everything had turned around for Campbell, and he was ready to ride the wave.
22. He Got An Offer From A Star
With all this attention, it was no surprise when Hollywood came knocking on Campbell’s door. This offer came from acting sensation John Wayne. The story goes that Wayne and his daughter went backstage after a concert and asked Campbell if he wanted to be in a movie.
But there was something about this offer that Campbell didn't know.
23. He Wasn’t Their First Choice
The truth was that the producers had wanted Campbell’s buddy Elvis Presley for their film True Grit. Presley’s demanding agent wanted his client’s name above Wayne and co-star Kim Darby. That wasn't going to happen, so Campbell got the offer.
Campbell was lucky to get this role, but with next to no acting experience, he was taking a huge risk.
24. He Was Lazy
Glen Campbell was starting his acting career in a big film opposite a huge star. However, he was immediately having trouble with director Henry Hathaway, who thought that Campbell tensed up every time he yelled action. Hathaway later called Campbell’s performance wooden and complained that he was lazy.
As it turned out, Campbell was also no fan of his own acting.
25. He Was Bad
Campbell later joked that before this film, he’d never acted in a movie before. And after it, he still hadn't acted in a movie. He went on to say that his acting was so bad that it made Wayne look so much better, helping the legend win his only Oscar. In spite of this, Campbell did end up with a nod from the BAFTA Awards for Most Promising Newcomer.
There was one thing no one could deny: Campbell looked good on camera.
26. He Got His Own Show
It seemed the camera liked Glen Campbell, which got him his own TV show. This was the variety show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, which combined music and laughs. Behind the scenes were two up-and-coming talents. These were writers Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. Guests included big musical acts like The Beatles and Johnny Cash, and actors John Wayne and Carol Burnett.
TV was working for Campbell, so he decided to give movies another try.
27. He Did What He Did Best
True Grit had not been a great experience for Campbell, so it was a big surprise that he decided to try a film again. The two stars of Norwood—Campbell and Joe Namath—were famous for other things besides acting; Campbell for singing, and Namath for playing football. Posters wanted to make this clear and read: “It’s Goodtime Glen and Super Joe, doing what they do best”.
Apparently, their best wasn’t good enough.
28. He Was Hokey
The response to Norwood was tepid to say the least. One critic called it “hokey but harmless”, and another compared Campbell's foray into films to Elvis Presley’s—but not in a good way. Campbell’s career would not mirror Presley’s successful celluloid career. This would be his last feature film.
Campbell needed to return to music, and he needed a hit song to do it.
29. He Heard It On The Radio
In 1974, Glen Campbell was in Australia when he heard a song on the radio that told the story of an aging musician looking back at his rise to fame. Campbell could identify with the song, and when he returned to the States, he went straight to Capital Records and told them about "Rhinestone Cowboy” by Larry Weiss.
Capital gave Campbell the thumbs up, and he got into the studio to record. This was going to be big.
30. He Topped The Charts
To say that “Rhinestone Cowboy” was a hit is a complete understatement. It eventually reached the number one spot on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles and the Billboard Hot 100. Campbell had now successfully crossed over into pop music.
Sadly, the movie version would not be quite so successful.
31. He Averted Disaster
With “Rhinestone Cowboy” sitting at the top of the charts, someone got the idea of making a movie. Glen Campbell received an offer to play the lead, but declined. Rhinestone finally came out in 1984 with Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton. Sadly, it received nine nominations for Golden Raspberry Awards, with Stallone taking home the trophy for Worst Actor.
But Campbell had his own problems to worry about.
32. He Couldn’t Handle Fame
Luckily, Campbell missed out on the movie Rhinestone, but the song was also giving him problems. Campbell was now enjoying a new level of fame. Well, maybe “enjoying” isn’t quite the right word. He was dealing with his fame by drinking too much. His lifestyle had changed significantly, and this also included cheating on his wife.
Marriage number two was coming to an end.
33. He Partied On
By 1978, Campbell’s marriage to beautician Billie Jean Nunley was over, but his partying lifestyle was not. He continued with the bottle, and then his huge profits from “Rhinestone Cowboy” started going up his nose. He would later credit his third wife for introducing him to drug use.
She was not a good influence on Campbell. Not at all.
34. He Hit The Bottom
Campbell’s third wife was Sarah Barg, who was actually the ex-wife of singer and friend Mac Davis. She was apparently a bad influence on Campbell. After a few years with Barg, Campbell hit rock bottom. He said he started freebasing when he was in Las Vegas. While he couldn’t totally blame Barg for his problems, he could get rid of her.
35. He Traded Her In
In 1980, Glen Campbell got a divorce from Brag. Sadly, the person he traded her in for wasn’t much better for him. Campbell and “Delta Dawn” singer Tanya Tucker started dating. Tucker was just 22 years old at the time and already had her own issues with the bottle. The union of these two characters was not a happy one.
It was going to be explosive.
36. She Was His Dream Lover
Campbell's relationship with Tucker started off well. He threw her a $57,000 22nd birthday party. They also made music together, and their song got them a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance. The song was “Dream Lover”, but somehow their relationship was quickly turning into a nightmare.
37. They Fought A Lot
While Campbell and Tucker were both country music darlings, nobody would call their relationship sweet. They were prone to very vocal, public, and sometimes violent fights. He allegedly threw chairs, and she cracked his ribs. One fight in the New York Plaza Hotel left a room in tatters. It cost Campbell $1,200 to clean it up.
When it came time to call it quits, things really got ugly.
38. She Wanted His Money
When Campbell and Tucker finally decided to end things, Tucker was not about to go quietly. The two had never officially married, but Tucker was asking for $3 million. It wasn’t alimony. She wanted him to pay for his violent behaviour. She shocked the music world when she said that Campbell had knocked out two of her front teeth.
Campbell’s golden boy image was coming undone.
39. It Was Insanity
Tucker did not legally sue Campbell, but the relationship was certainly over. Campbell’s time with Tucker was so bad that he called it a “poisoned relationship “ and “my insanity”. Tucker, on the other hand, saw it differently. She called Campbell the love of her life.
To get over the disaster that was Tanya Tucker, Campbell went on a blind date.
40. He Was A Monster
Without dealing with his addiction issues, Campbell entered yet another marriage. He met Kim Woolen on a blind date in 1981 and married her the next year. Woolen seemed to have little idea what she was in for. When she saw her husband high, she called him a monster. At one point, her monstrous husband even pointed a pistol at her.
Woolen should have run the other way, but she hung in there.
41. She Helped Him
Woolen was not about to stay married to a “monster”, so she gave him an ultimatum: quit using, or she’d be gone. To help him, Woolen offered up the church she attended. She also had a tape recording that she hoped would scare him straight. On the tape, an inebriated Campbell was incoherently rambling away. Hearing himself like this was enough for Campbell to quit his vices.
It just didn’t last as long as he’d hoped.
42. He Had A Setback
Campbell may have been sober since 1989, but this didn't mean there weren't setbacks. In 2003, Campbell was driving in Phoenix, Arizona, and officers pulled him over. They were pretty sure that Campbell had been drinking and was over the legal limit. When they asked him his name, he said he was “Glen Campbell, the Rhinestone Cowboy”.
Things went downhill from there.
43. He Got Over-Served
Campbell hadn’t won the officers over, not even a bit. When he told them that he had just ordered a Coke at the bar, they were pretty sure he was lying. He called it being “over-served". It got worse when Campbell attempted to knee one of the officers in his leg. Even the Rhinestone Cowboy couldn't get away with this behaviour.
Things were not looking good.
44. They Put Him Away
Even though he was the Rhinestone Cowboy, the officers had to take Campbell's behavior seriously. As they took him to the Phoenix station, some witnesses say he was singing his hit song, “By the Time I Get To Phoenix”. The judge threw the book at him and sent him to prison for 10 days.
Campbell needed a change of scenery to turn his life around.
45. He Made A Friend On The Dark Side
Campbell decided to give living in Phoenix a chance and found one of his neighbors was macabre rocker Alice Cooper. Both musicians had moved to Phoenix to get away from the booze and drug culture that caused them both so many problems. When they took up golf together, they formed a close friendship.
But Cooper soon noticed a problem with his new friend.
46. He Became Forgetful
It was Cooper who noticed that something wasn't quite right with Campbell. He became concerned when Campbell would tell a joke on the first tee and then repeat it again on the fourth. This prompted Campbell to see a doctor.
The news was not good.
47. He Got Ready To Say Goodbye
In 2010, doctors gave Campbell the sad diagnosis: he had Alzheimer's. This news prompted Campbell to get some things done before he was gone. He immediately started a “Goodbye Tour”. He also recorded his final album, which he affectionately called Adios. His final song was the bittersweet “I’m Not Gonna Miss You”.
But there would be a lot of people missing him.
48. She Wrote A Tribute
An 81-year-old Campbell passed on August 8, 2017. Tanya Tucker, who had been his turbulent lover, wrote and performed “Forever Loving You” as a tribute to her ex-boyfriend. When Campbell’s widow heard the song, she hit the roof and accused Tucker of using Campbell’s demise for her own publicity.
Even after he was gone, Campbell’s life continued to be full of trouble.
49. They Fought For His Money
Over his lifetime, Campbell had nine children. When the lawyers read his will, not all of them received an inheritance. The three who got left out were from his marriage to Billie Jean Nunley. These three kids fought to contest the will, but eventually let it go for unknown reasons.
Aside from these turbulent relationships, most have fond memories of Campbell as a gentle soul.
50. He Was One Of the Best
Shock rocker Alice Cooper had nothing but kind words for Campbell. He called him a “golden boy” who could easily hang out with a wide variety of people. He mentioned that Campbell was friends with members of the Brat Pack, the Beatles, and even Donny and Marie Osmond. He also said that Campbell was one of the five top guitar players in the music world.
You May Also Like:
Dark Romantic Facts About Leonard Cohen, Music’s Messiest Poet Laureate
Cautionary Facts About Sondra Locke, The Star Who Disappeared
Thundering Facts About John Entwistle, The Who’s Booming Bassist
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18