Ashley Campbell, daughter of legendary musician and renowned Christian Glen Campbell, has shared a touching tribute to her late father on social media.
“Heartbroken. I owe him everything I am, and everything I ever will be,” Ashley posted to Instagram shortly after news of her 81-year-old father’s death – which came after a multi-year bout with Alzheimer’s. “He will be remembered so well and with so much love.”
Ashley followed in her father’s footsteps as a country singer-songwriter, additionally shared a photo of her clutching the hand of her father, who rose to prominence as one of the most popular genre acts of the 20th century. Best known for his 1975 hit, ‘Rhinestone Cowboy,’ he also had over 20 hits in the U.S. Top 40 while releasing 25 Top 10 singles on the country charts.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and legendary singer and guitarist, Glen Travis Campbell,” a statement read on Glen’s website.“
Campbell was a musical legend that impacted multiple genres. According to Rolling Stone:
“In his youth, Campbell started playing guitar and became obsessed with jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. He dropped out of school when he was 14 and moved to Wyoming with an uncle who was a musician playing gigs together at rural bars. He soon moved to Los Angeles and by 1962 had solidified a spot in the Wrecking Crew, a group of session pros. In 1963 alone he appeared in 586 cuts, and countless more throughout the decade including the Byrds’ ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ Elvis Presley’s ‘Viva Las Vegas,’ Merle Haggard’s ‘Mama Tried’ and the Righteous Brothers’ ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.’”
“Campbell was married four times, and has five sons and three daughters. Despite his career successes, he struggled with alcoholism and cocaine addiction. In the early ‘80s, he had a tempestuous, high-profile relationship with country singer Tanya Tucker, who was 22 years, his junior.”
Little did he know how quickly his life would change. In 1981, he became a born-again Christian, and in 1982, he married Kimberly Woollen, a Radio City Music Hall Rockette, who helped Campbell clean up his life.
He eventually turned to hymns.
“I love singing gospel music and hymns. Being a Christian, I love to tell people about Christ and what he’s done for me and can do for them,” Campbell said in 1990.
But his demons still followed him and struggled with the party scene that came along with fame. He struggle with a raging cocaine addiction before he turned his life over to Christ.
He told Guideposts:
“I had promised Kim that cocaine would not be part of our marriage. I tried and prayed, but I didn’t keep that promise. One night, shortly after our first child Cal was born, some musician friends were in town and I stayed up till dawn doing cocaine with them,” Glen said. “When I got home Kim was heartbroken and furious and I was afraid she was going to take Cal and leave. I can’t say I would have blamed her but I think it would have torn my heart out.”
“As I had done so many times before, I begged the Lord to deliver me. I don’t understand why, but that day it was as if Jesus reached down and pulled my hand back from the cocaine. I never touched the drug again.”
He also struggled with alcohol addiction. He used to joke with his pastor about how much wine they drank in the Bible.
“’Jesus turned water into wine,” I’d remind him. He’d look at me, shake his head and say, ‘Glen, when you can change water into wine, then maybe you can drink it,” Glen said.
“When God lifted my obsession for alcohol it was as if the raised the curtain on a whole new life. He changed me in ways I never could have changed myself, and that is the key. Kim and I have a real marriage now, and honest marriage,” Glen said. “Today, I truly have a peace ‘which passeth all understanding.’ I really don’t understand it. But I thank the Lord all the time. I am a man richly blessed, despite myself. For all that God has given me, there is nothing for which I am more thankful than Kim.”
When Glen finally acknowledged the need of a Savior, and accepted Jesus Christ as that Savior, he was saved and his life was transformed forever.
We are thankful for Glen’s time on earth and will forever hold onto his legacy as not only a famed country music star, but also the impact of Christ in his life and how transformative that power really is.
Glen is survived by his wife, Kim Campbell of Nashville; their three children, Cal, Shannon and Ashley; his children from previous marriages, Debby, Kelli, Travis, Kane, and Dillon; 10 grandchildren, great – and great-great-grandchildren; sisters Barbara, Sandra, and Jane; and brothers John Wallace ‘Shorty’ and Gerard.
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