Glen Campbell
A country-pop crossover star and masterful guitarist who brought Southern charm to mainstream television and radio for decades.
1936–2017 (age 81)·American musician·Birthday: April 22·The Silent Generation
Biography
Glen Campbell's journey began in the humble fields of Arkansas, but his guitar talent was his ticket out. Before anyone knew his name, he was one of the most in-demand session musicians in Los Angeles, laying down licks for everyone from Frank Sinatra to The Beach Boys. When he stepped into the spotlight himself, his clean-cut appeal and crystal-clear voice turned songs like 'Rhinestone Cowboy' and 'Wichita Lineman' into timeless anthems. His weekly variety show, 'The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,' made him a friendly fixture in American living rooms, blending country, pop, and comedy with effortless grace. Even his public battle with Alzheimer's disease was met with a final, poignant tour and documentary, showcasing the same resilience that defined his five-decade climb from picker to superstar.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Glen was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Glen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Glen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2017Died at 81
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Won four Grammy Awards in his career, including for 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix'.
- Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
- Hosted the popular CBS television variety show 'The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'.
- Released the hit 'Rhinestone Cowboy,' which topped both the country and pop charts in 1975.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the studio musician group known as 'The Wrecking Crew'.
He briefly toured as a temporary member of The Beach Boys, playing bass and singing.
He earned a Grammy for his final recording, 'I'm Not Gonna Miss You,' a song about his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
“I am a Rhinestone Cowboy, riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo.”
