Once in a generation a talent like Glen Campbell comes along. And when it happens, that person's legacy will live forever in the hearts of his fans.
You would never have known that Carl Collins was a country western fan.
Carl worked as a trouble shooter for the Salt River Project in Phoenix, Arizona. He was also a member of American Legion Post One at 7th Avenue and Grand and he ran the poker games in the Legion's back room.
He had a granite face that reminded me of a craggy mountain peak somewhere in Arizona or Colorado. Carl's arms were about twice the size of mine and when any trouble erupted in the back room because of too much drinking or a loss at poker, you didn't need a couple of Texas Rangers or members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to quell the disturbance. All you needed was Carl.
He would start the process by being nice. If that didn't work, he would pick up the offender with one of his brawny arms and ask gently, "Are you gonna settle down or do I have to get rough?" The person causing the problem would always settle down.
We were playing the usual Saturday poker game when between shuffles Carl told me that Glen Campbell was appearing that night at Mr. Lucky's, a popular country western night club just a couple of miles from the Legion.
"You cover those guys for magazines," he said. "I thought you'd want to know."
I did want to know. My younger sister Debbie was working as a cocktail waitress at Mr. Lucky's so I left the game early and made my way to the club, arriving there just a few minutes before 9 p.m.
Campbell arrived to a packed house and began performing around 9:30 p.m. He was dressed in a blue western outfit that made the stage sparkle. The club manager was a friend of mine and after the singer had finished his set, which included his latest record, "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," he brought him to my table and introduced us.
The interview went incredibly well. I even called my friend Ray Odom, owner of KHAT, a country western radio station, and invited him over to the club. I warned him if he didn't come, he would miss hearing the best country song I had ever heard. Odom showed up an hour later and did a live interview with Campbell.
A few days ago I rented a DVD by Campbell, who died at the age of 81 from complications of Alzheimer's disease. The album, “I'll Be Me,” was released in 2014 and told about Glen's battle against the disease. It featured his daughter, Ashley, and his wife Kim.
Both of them, along with Campbell's sons, stuck with him to the end, touring with him, playing in his band, making records, and coping with the devastating effects of Alzheimer's.
Campbell was married four times and had a well publicized affair with Tanya Tucker. They were often featured on the cover of all the tabloids, including the National Enquirer, because of their battles fueled by cocaine and alcohol.
Kim, a lovely blond, was Campbell's fourth wife. She used love and patience to coax him off cocaine and alcohol. His beautiful blond daughter Ashley, supported the effort and helped Glen weather his final years in comfort.
The DVD opens with home family videos of Glen as a child growing up near Delight, Arkansas, population 464. He is shown swinging a golf club, ice skating, being interviewed by Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, and sitting on a couch with Kim.
The scene flashes to a medical hospital. A specialist in Alzheimer's is asking Campbell a series of questions. What year is it, what season is it, do you know how old you are, who was the first president of the United State? Campbell couldn't answer any of them correctly.
Continuing, the DVD shows a nurse taking blood and running him through an MRI scanner. A specialist shows Glen and his wife an x-ray of his brain and tells him he has Alzheimer's.
Campbell decides to share the news with his fans. He also goes on tour in 2012, traveling across the country in a big bus. He gets standing ovations even when he can't remember the lyrics to songs like “Gentle On My Mind," "Lineman for The County," "Rhinestone Cowboy" or some of his other records that sold over 50 million copies.
His concerts are filled with laughter, tears, applause, hugs and standing ovations.
He shows incredible dexterity with a guitar, playing duets with banjo-playing Ashley and joking with the audience when he can't remember a line. It's an amazing performance that sometimes leaves you in tears.
Glen Campbell is now part of the old rock. He belongs to the ages. But thanks to legendary songwriters like John Hartford and Jimmy Webb, his music will never be forgotten. How could it be? It is part of us.
Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist who has worked in many parts of the United States as well as the Caribbean on newspapers and magazines. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .