How Should a Country Music Purist Regard the Musical Legacy of Glen Campbell?
How should a country purist regard the legacy of Glen Campbell? That should be a really easy question to answer: with class, respect, and appreciation for a man that was an incredible ambassador for the genre through multiple avenues, and a timeless contributor to the country music canon with songs that touched the world of country and pop alike in positive and indelible measures.
Yes, it is fair to say that Glen Campbell was one of country music’s first true modern crossover stars, and helped import a pop sensibility to country music in his era. But well before Glen Campbell, pop had already become an element of country with Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, and so many others. Pop country didn’t start with Glen Campbell, and it certainly didn’t end with him, and it certainly didn’t get any worse with his efforts. Glen Campbell was a pop country star in an era when pop country was something both pop and country fans could be proud of and enjoy together, bridging divides in tastes, styles, and cultures, as opposed to defining them.
It’s hard to not listen to those classic Glen Campbell compositions and not feel the same stirring in the soul that a classic, hard country song does. Glen Campbell wasn’t just a pop star in country, he was a singer whose contributions transcended genre, and helped turned scores of listeners onto the virtues of country. And Glen Campbell, throughout his career, was an important catalyst for so many authentic country artists to either get their start, or climb to the top of the genre. If it wasn’t for “Crossover” Glen Campbell, some of your favorite country legends may have never hit it as big as they did.
Glen Campbell started his professional career as a songwriter, writing for the American Music publishing house in Los Angeles. But one of his most lasting contributions to country was unearthing some of the greatest songwriting talent of the genre, and placing it in the national spotlight. John Hartford’s “Gentle On My Mind”—which went on to become one of Glen Campbell’s signature songs—won two Grammy Awards in 1967 via Campbell’s rendition, foisting Hartford as a virtually unknown songwriter and bluegrass musician in front of a much bigger audience. Similar stories can be told by numerous songwriters who contributed to the Glen Campbell discography, including Jimmy Webb.
Glen Campbell’s ambassadorship for good country music wasn’t just confined to the audio format. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour television show, which ran for 2 1/2 years between 1969 and 1972—right in the heart of the counterculture revolution—saw regular appearances by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, Mel Tillis, Jerry Reed, and many more early in their careers, helping to turn them into national stars. Campbell also hosted more established legends on the show like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and others. Similar to what Johnny Cash’s television show did for bridging the cultural divide on the small screen by inviting rock and folk acts to appear on a country program, the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour helped spread the love for true country to an audience who otherwise may not be exposed to the virtues of the genre, or some of its best talent.
Some country music purists may be shocked to learn that it was Glen Campbell that gave Alan Jackson his first big break. Alan Jackson’s wife Denise met Glen Campbell in an airport in 1985 while she was working as a flight attendant, and passed Campbell a demo tape of Alan Jackson singing. It was through the chance encounter that Jackson ended up moving to Nashville, and getting signed as a staff songwriter for Glen’s publishing company, Glen Campbell Music. From there he would eventually be signed to Arista Nashville, and the rest is history.
Yes, the Glen Campbell legacy could be regarded as somewhat checkered, whether it’s from his pop contributions to country, or his drug addiction and run-in with the law for drunk driving. But country music—including music of the Outlaw era and modern traditionalism era regarded so highly by purists in the genre—would not be the same if it weren’t for Glen Campbell.
And none of this mentions the contributions by Glen as a session musician as part of the world-class studio outfit known as the Wrecking Crew, which brought an element of true musician cred to Campbell’s entire career, and incredible respect from his peers, including from many of the country music Outlaws that would rise in the wake of Campbell’s peak popularity. Glen Campbell was far beyond just a pretty face, or even a pretty voice. He was a musician first.
Perhaps someday it will fair to analyze how Glen Campbell’s music helped lead to the ails of country music today through his more pop-oriented style of country, but probably not in the shadow of his passing. Glen Campbell did not discriminate against artists due to the arbitrary level of their country-ness when deciding whose songs to cut, who to invite on his television show, or whose career to get behind. So it doesn’t seem quite fair to do the same to Glen.
Glen Campbell did the best he could at being himself, and that is all you can ask from anyone, and what is truly at the heart of being “country.”
therhodeo
August 9, 2017 @ 11:15 am
Pop sensibilities or not Galveston, Wichita Lineman, Phoenix, etc. were all good songs with a story telling nature that was purely country.
Hans Rosen
August 9, 2017 @ 12:00 pm
Glen did not write those songs!
AV
August 9, 2017 @ 1:20 pm
I don’t think anyone is saying he did. He still recorded them and they are heavily associated with him.
Greg Green
August 9, 2017 @ 2:38 pm
Carl Jackson said Glen was a song doctor. He could hear a song and say I know how to Campbellize that song and make it better.
Doug
August 9, 2017 @ 3:47 pm
Greg Green, There’s a quote from Glen in the New York Times’ obit where he affirms that: “I can think of only two or three songs out of hundreds I’ve recorded that I performed as originally written. I like to become intimate with the material, and change it to suit me.”
Michael McCoy
August 21, 2022 @ 12:19 am
Why are you upset that Glen rearranged many songs that took months to do? Did you write any of the songs he performed? Don’t be so arrogant.
J Jones
March 20, 2023 @ 1:08 pm
Tiresome response. Of course he did not write them, he just perfected them.
TX Music Jim
August 9, 2017 @ 11:15 am
I few Glen as a singers singer a pickers picker. He was a maestro in the truest since of the word.
I believe we’ll look at Vince Gills legacy in a very similar way some day.
DerekJoists
August 9, 2017 @ 11:17 am
If anyone’s too much of a purist of any genre, country or otherwise, to respect and admire Campbell’s legacy, then they don’t understand music at all.
As for specifically country purism, all the greats – Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, even George Jones, pushed the boundaries of the style, recorded outside of the genre, and had success with fans of differing types of music.
What matters is the quality of the music. not how it’s labelled.
R2D2
August 9, 2017 @ 11:22 am
Very well said!
Scotty J
August 9, 2017 @ 11:30 am
Too many of the greats of all genres of music have had personal issues with drugs, alcohol and relationships for that to held against one. And of course none of us actually know the real truths of what went on so for me these are certainly nothing to be proud of but barring serious violent crimes they are irrelevant to me.
Musically I think the thing that I have always thought is the major difference in pop country of the past and whatever it is now is that while maybe musically pop country was different lyrically the songs were very much rooted in the themes of country music. ‘Galveston’, ‘Wichita’, ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ and even songs like ‘Dreams Of An Everyday Housewife’ are firmly in the country tradition lyrically.
So while I’m no country music purist I would call myself a traditionalist and I regard Glen Campbell as one of the most talented artists ever to be associated with country music and an immense part of it’s history.
Hans Rosen
August 9, 2017 @ 11:59 am
None of those songs you mention was written by Glen! Jimmy Webb*2, Larry Weiss and then Chris Gantry!
Scotty J
August 9, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
Never said they were. He was mainly an interpreter of others songs just like George Strait didn’t write ‘Amarillo By Morning’ or George Jones ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’.
Scotty J
August 9, 2017 @ 12:19 pm
It was the subject matter of his songs that I was referring to not him as a songwriter.
Batterycap
August 9, 2017 @ 11:32 am
Glen Campbell was country. I saw a clip of him on YouTube on the Regis and Kathy Lee show. He was the youngest of 8 or 9 or 12 kids in a tiny little place in Arkansas. Having no electricity, he taught himself to play guitar. They had a battery powered radio, but the batteries would go out and the guitar was his only way to entertain. Ho noted that he and his family lived so far back in the country that there was no one behind them.
He is a major musical part of my life. His TV show was truly don’t miss TV. I recall I first saw Mason Williams play “Classical Gas” on Glen’s show.
His marriage to Tanya ought to seal the country deal, if it wasn’t already. What a mess that marriage was.
DimM
August 9, 2017 @ 12:23 pm
He was never married to Tanya Tucker.It was just a (messy) relationship.
Will
August 9, 2017 @ 11:36 am
I’ll just let what Waylon had to say about Glen settle the issue. Anybody who is too much of a purist for Glen is likely to be really annoying on other matters as well.
Golddust
August 9, 2017 @ 11:37 am
I saw this yesterday and thought Glen’s answer was perfect, at 5:48 — https://youtu.be/S6J99mWFqMU?t=5m48s
Greg Green
August 9, 2017 @ 2:43 pm
Nice link, I went straight to the 5m48s mark! I always wondered how to get that done. You’re the Glen Campbell of links! Thanks!!
Golddust
August 9, 2017 @ 2:59 pm
Ha! I’ll have to say that compliment is certainly not deserved. 🙂 If you go to the bottom right of the video, and click on share, there’s a box there that says “start at”. If you’re where you want to reference in the video and you click that box, the link you copy to share will include the time so it goes directly there. Easy peasy. 🙂
RD
August 9, 2017 @ 11:55 am
Not my cup of tea, but Mr. Campbell was very good singer and guitar player.
I’ve seen a lot about him being the first crossover country/pop star. I don’t see how this can be the case. It certainly depends how one categorizes certain artists, but Elvis had a dozen top ten country hits before Glen Campbell even charted. There were many, many more artists who did it long before Glen Campbell.
Clint
August 9, 2017 @ 12:01 pm
Seeing Glen perform on his farewell tour was so awesome and sas at the same time. He couldn’t always remember the words to his songs but his guitar playing had not left him at all. I never thought he was very country but he was one of the best musical performers we have ever had
Doug
August 9, 2017 @ 3:52 pm
It’s interesting that he forgot some of the words but his guitar playing was as good as ever. The neurologists probably can explain that. Words and music come from somewhat different places in the brain?
Trigger
August 9, 2017 @ 3:57 pm
I think this is correct. Along the same lines, there are people with speech impediments that can sing perfectly fine, or better than they can speak. Randy Travis has shown great strides in being able to sing, while speaking is still a big challenge. There was a story a while back about a guy in India playing guitar while undergoing brain surgery.
ExcitedSouthnr
August 10, 2017 @ 9:48 pm
Mel Tillis?
Trigger
August 10, 2017 @ 10:32 pm
Yep.
Austin Lee
August 9, 2017 @ 12:14 pm
Good piece man. Pop country done right can be good. The stuff now is not done right that’s why it’s hard to appreciate like Glen’s work.
Corncaster
August 9, 2017 @ 12:42 pm
“He was a musician first.” Well said.
As for pop country precendent, I don’t know. One test is that you can two-step to most of Glen’s music, even to “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” He’s usually not too far off the reservation. Hell, “Southern Nights” is ragtime. The big exception is “MacArthur Park” (cringe). “Wichita Lineman” is hard to dance to, but its subject matter is as country as “Working Man Blues.”
What sounds “pop” may be the use of string sections and the chords of these songs which are unusual to country music: minor and major sevenths, added ninths, and elevenths. Some of that Jimmy Webb stuff takes you very far away from Bakersfield, which is probably why it makes purists cringe. But musicians recognize what was going on, and Glen was a great musician who probably reveled in chord changes that wouldn’t be too far out of place in a jazz session.
The thing is, Glen could do it all, frequently did so, and did it well. You could make a case that instead of turning country music toward “pop,” he was doing everything he could to turn it more in the direction of jazz. Merle certainly approved, which is plenty good enough for me.
KSU
August 9, 2017 @ 12:42 pm
Couple of legends in this clip. Enjoy. https://youtu.be/t4V3S7kGNjY
Greg Green
August 9, 2017 @ 2:50 pm
LOL! Thanks! First comment “More pure talent on that stage than on the entire ACM awards show for at least the last ten years.”
Lindsey
August 9, 2017 @ 12:45 pm
I never paid much attention to him until now. It seems he was very humble and incredibly nice, despite any negativity people have thrown his way. And my gosh, he could still sing and play anything better than most. I also did not know he was from Arkansas. Good to know we have him to be proud of. 🙂
countrygothic
August 9, 2017 @ 1:30 pm
I had the pleasure of meeting Glen Campbell many years ago at the Golden Eagle Casino, near Horton, KS. When people ask me about the stars I’ve met during my 26-years in radio, I always say he was one of the kindest, one of the most sincere. He had a jacket, a western jacket, and I complimented him on it. He looked me up and down, smiling in that Glen Campbell way, and said “son, if you and I were the same size, I’d give it to you.” He meant that. It was clear. A great talent. A great soul. Rest well, Glen, and may your amazing guitar skills echo forever in the heavens.
Lazydawg 58
August 9, 2017 @ 1:35 pm
I think of him as being a pop artist with heavy country influences, not a country artist that went pop. Pop or top 40 music of that era was often very good music. His certainly was. It is also important to note that John Hartford was able to pursue a very creative and non-commercial life as a musician and performer in large part because of the royalties from GOMM and the name recognition from The Goodtime Hour. The world is a much better place as a result of Hartford’s experimentation, song collection, one man shows, preservation and influence.
Rod Johnson
August 9, 2017 @ 2:02 pm
Pretty coold interview abut Glen with Alice Cooper. https://youtube.com/watch?v=B6q2hsdXenQ
Darren
August 12, 2017 @ 7:29 pm
Great interview. Thanks for posting that.
Desperado Destry
August 9, 2017 @ 2:31 pm
In my opinion, country music has always had some elements of pop. Just take a listen to The Carter Family, you can hear some elements of pop in those original 1927 recordings. And after all, pop as well as rock and roll evolved from somewhere, right? Those genres didn’t just fall out of the sky! Glen Campbell did pop country right. He knew how to crossover. He knew the difference. If it we didn’t have Glen Campbell would we still have Taylor Swift? Yes. If we didn’t have Glen Campbell would we still have Sam Hunt? Yes. If we didn’t have Glen Campbell would we have the contributions to country music and a legend? No. Glen is gone and he will be missed, but perhaps in the midst of his passing the pop country acts of our time can discover the man and learn from his music.
John Deaux
August 9, 2017 @ 2:40 pm
I love Glen Campbell’s music, pop country or otherwise. The man was a talent like no other in recent years. He may have had some problems in his life but which of us hasn’t, remember all that music he let for us to enjoy.
Thank you Mr Campbell, your problems are behind you. RIP
Robert St
August 9, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
In addition to everything in the article, another bit when I think of Glen Campbell’s vast music legacy is Carl Jackson, whose New Monday at the Station Inn is a real treat for traditional country fans.
Corncaster
August 9, 2017 @ 2:43 pm
“canon”
Marc
August 9, 2017 @ 3:23 pm
I think this is why there are 3 kinds of music great, good and bad. And we get to decide that on our own.
Doug
August 9, 2017 @ 3:57 pm
Trigger, I think you framed this tribute just right. I like my country straight and hate showbiz glitter, but I always loved Glen Campbell’s big hits, and I never thought about that being a contradiction. Thanks for pointing out why it isn’t!
sweet on stuart
August 9, 2017 @ 4:31 pm
Rest high up on that mountain, Glen.
I enjoyed his tv show back in the late 60’s as I think it was originally a summer replacement (maybe permanent?) for the Smothers Bros show. I think back and figure that the experience of watching his show, Cash’s and even Hee Haw was probably my intro to liking Country.
Galveston, Lineman and Gentle on My Mind always give me chills when I hear them. So hard to think of him as being 81, almost as old as my folks are.
Jimmy
August 9, 2017 @ 6:06 pm
Best reflection I’ve read.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 9, 2017 @ 8:08 pm
I’m a Country purist, and Glen Campbell was pure talent.
and in the end that’s why I loved him. he put out some great albums and fantastic live shows and was really a great entertainer and was just incredibly versatile.
Dan Morris
August 10, 2017 @ 4:29 am
The more I think about Glen’s life and legacy the more I wonder how much outside influences had on his sound. He was an Arkansas country boy who left home as a teenager to play in his Uncles country band. When he formed his own group it was a pure country/western outfit called the Western Wranglers. But moving to LA and playing sessions on a large number of pop and early ’60s rock songs would have had to make an impression on him and influence his tastes. Plus he began his solo career during the countrypoliton era when producers added string accompaniment to all songs they recorded hoping for crossover success whether the artist agreed or not. That pop success was where the big money could be made and we all know money has always driven the music business. Strip the excess arrangements off of Glen’s recordings and you will have some damn fine country music
Erik North
August 10, 2017 @ 7:08 am
Very early on in his career, Glen also worked with a folk/bluegrass group called the Green River Boys on a 1962 album called BIG BLUEGRASS SPECIAL (which included his first Top 20 country hit, “Kentucky Means Paradise”), and the following year he collaborated with the Dillards on the 1963 album 12 STRING GUITAR, where both they and G.C. were dubbed the Folkswingers. Both albums were a kind of nod to the college folk music crowd of that era that had gotten into bluegrass. He kept his hand somewhat in the bluegrass form that way.
Like what has been said, the man was wide-ranging; and hopefully, more folks will find out about it now.
Duane Warren
August 10, 2017 @ 5:20 pm
Here’s a perfect example Dan of just what you mentioned. No string arrangements here, just Glen Campbell sitting in with The Stone Temple Pilots (who were very vocal about their admiration of Glen Campbell) doing a stunning version of Wichita Lineman. Sheer musical beauty.
https://youtu.be/skuEiYfnSFg
Dan Morris
August 11, 2017 @ 12:35 am
Oh man, that is beautiful. Thank you for that link Duane. Do you know anything about the circumstances of GC and STP getting together for that? Is there anymore recordings? At the end of the clip someone faintly says “now Galveston”, then chuckles. I’d love to hear more.
Duane Warren
August 11, 2017 @ 3:58 am
I remember years ago reading a cover story article on STP in Guitar One magazine. Was a little shocked when they talked about Glen and what a huge musical influence he was on them. I was not into country music at all at that time but I did admit (albeit, only to myself) that Campbell’s music was a guilty pleasure. I love Tom Petty’s thoughts on Glen’s music when Petty was a youngster: “At first, you go, ‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’” (about Campbell’s predilection for sanded-smooth sounds). “But it was such pure, good stuff that you had to put off your prejudices and learn to love it. It taught me not to have those prejudices”.
Here’s a link to a STP site with a little background to their collaboration with Glen on Wichita Lineman:
http://www.belowempty.com/sia.php?do=showsonginfo&id=wichita_lineman_ft._glen_campbell
Duane Warren
August 11, 2017 @ 4:03 am
And no Dan, as far as I can tell there are no more recordings. But I find myself hitting replay on this one and just getting lost in it over and over again. Just a beautiful version.
Carter Burger
August 10, 2017 @ 4:56 am
Campbell’s version of “pop” country is still WAY more country than the tripe Nashville is putting out now.
Seak05
August 10, 2017 @ 5:54 am
I like Glenn Campbell & think he’s done a lot for country music. Pop has always been a part of country, so has tv. I think my frustration is sometimes that we allow for those things in our older artists, but not in current day artists. Pop sounds different now than it did when Glenn made music, so country pop will sound different. But doing country pop, tv etc doesn’t make you a non-country or crappy person & it isn’t any less country than country rock, or blues etc. (& I hate body back road), and I think that’s sometimes something we forget when looking at modern artists.
CountryCharm
August 10, 2017 @ 5:59 am
To me purists in any genre concern themselves so much about the minutiae that they lose the ability to sit back and enjoy good music pure or not.
Does music make you happy, does it move you? Glen Campbell made some damn good music and while a flawed man he inspired many.
FLYINGBURRITO2486
August 10, 2017 @ 7:11 am
Maybe a little off topic, but I always thought Dale Watsons “Carryin’ On This Way” sounded just like a Glen Campbell song.
BigBadJohn
August 10, 2017 @ 8:41 am
Gentle on My Mind
By the way, I love Waylon’s version of that song. Actually Dean Martin has a good version too.
The Goddess of Country Rock
August 10, 2017 @ 8:39 am
Tanya Tucker has posted a lovely message about Glen, and song dedicated to him.
http://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/tanya-tucker-on-glen-campbell-ill-forever-love-you-glen-w496988
The Goddess of Country Rock
August 10, 2017 @ 8:58 am
Here’s Tanya’s full message on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheTanyaTucker/photos/a.600249356778657.1073741828.571630729640520/1050104705126451/?type=3&theater
Sam
August 10, 2017 @ 2:29 pm
HIs final album, “Adios,” is the best country album I’ve heard this year…
Sam
August 10, 2017 @ 2:43 pm
This should settle any question of Glen Campbell’s country cred…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbV7Mm_a0Mc
Robert Hill
August 11, 2017 @ 5:39 am
Wonderful write-up, Trigger. As these legends pass on, the younger audience needs someone to help them understand the contributions these people made. Kudos.
El Pendebro
August 11, 2017 @ 8:10 am
It’s strange to look back and criticize the Nashville sound as not pure enough when you look at it in today’s context. I could have done without all the backup singing, but I didn’t mind the orchestral arrangements. As for examining the legacy I was never particularly big on Glen Campbell, but my tastes cover every part of the spectrum from that era. On the outlaw (in the non-establishment sense) side of the divide you had Guy, Townes, Newbury, and Kristofferson who were brilliant songwriters, but considered (critically, not personally by me) to be lacking vocally. On the Nashville side you had Faron Young, Ray Price, Charley Pride, and Bobby Bare who had incredible voices, but were mostly interpreters of other’s work. Some don’t want to bridge that gap, but both should be appreciated for what they were. It was really the last great era for country in terms of both it’s mainstream and independent output.
albert
August 11, 2017 @ 1:11 pm
Most ,if not all ,of Glen’s music was narrative / story -driven with a movement to that narrative as the lyric progressed . THIS fact is , of course , on top of the given that he was blessed with a one -in-a-million kind of musical gift (s ) . No …he did not write his material , as has been noted above. However a lesser talent with less vision could as easily have chosen lesser material and had much less of a career leaving no significant legacy while leaving that material criminally undiscovered .
Part of Glen’s gift , I believe , was identifying great material and sensing that it would timelessly resonate with listeners of all ages BASED ON LYRIC NARRATIVES / THEMES, MELODIES AND HIS PERFORMANCE ….not autotune , dance loops or Wizard -Of- Oz production tricks or trendy sonics. Of course , he was correct as evidenced by not only HIS releases of that material but the numerous times that material has been covered and the life its had on radio for over 50 years and counting . I’m not discounting or minimizing the songwriters’ who gave us that material but we’re talking about Mr. Campbell here . His role in bringing that GREAT material to the world is immeasurable .
On a personal note , I became a Glen fan as a young hippie kid stoked on everything from CREAM licks to B, S and T horn arrangements thanks to AM radio at the time .I owe a huge part of my musical inspiration , education and sensibilities to Glen Campbell and believe that most country musicians do . Phoenix , Galveston , Lineman and , in particular for me , a record called REUNION Glen and Jimmy Webb released way back when blew my world apart when it came to Glen’s interpretations of those adventurous yet accessible Webb mini-masterpieces . His most recent collection ( Adios ) continues to live up to the standards set by himself all those songs ago in terms of performance and strong, narrative-driven, SMART material executed to perfection by Glen and Co. To say that his passing is a loss is an understatement . The art of discovering , interpreting and bringing listeners GREAT material has , I believe , suffered a huge blow with Glen Campbell’s death . There are very very few country entertainers today who seek out songs with the same motus operandi Mr. Campbell obviously did .We should all take consolation in the catalogue of timeless and often unrivaled material he introduced us to .
God bless Glen Campbell .
Freakanatcha
August 11, 2017 @ 9:38 pm
I was watching a video of Glen’s show with Stevie Wonder and Roger Miller. Roger was the headliner. Suggests where Glen’s heart was at.
J. Jones
March 20, 2023 @ 1:09 pm
Glen Campbell transcended country music.