After a protracted battle with Alzheimer’s, and a remarkable career that minted one of the most recognized voices in country music and made him an ambassador for the genre to millions as many of his songs crossed over into contemporary spheres, Glen Campbell has passed away at the age of 81. He died on Tuesday, […]
Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2011, and subsequently announced a farewell tour for 2011 and 2012. After the tour is when Adiós was recorded to “[capture] what magic was left” according to Glen’s wife Kim. The album features songs that Campbell loved, but never had a chance to record in his career.
As the title implies, this is a record for the core fandom of LaRue. It’s not exactly a covers album, but it’s not exactly a big original, once-every-two-years release. Whether it was meant to come out now at this time, or was expedited because of recent events, Stoney is doing his best to turn the focal point back to the music, not just as a PR move, but for himself and his fans.
Ashley Campbell knows a lot about leaving behind a musical legacy. As the daughter of Country Music Hall of Fame member Glen Campbell, she not only grew up watching her legendary father deliver country standards such as “Galveston,” “Wichita Lineman” and “Gentle on My Mind,” but on his Farewell Tour before the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s finally claimed his mind…
In every sense, “Gentle On My Mind” has become an American standard by sharing the sentiment of a generational mood ever present in the human experience. And its 2015 Grammy is just more validation for the song’s timeless impact, and the timeless impact of the song’s writer, John Hartford.
On Friday morning (12-5), the Grammy Award nominations were inefficiently and unceremoniously announced via Twitter, and once again proved that their nose for quality in country music is somewhat better than what we’re used to seeing from the country music industry itself, even if their ability to categorize music remains somewhat curious.
Unlike Elvis, The Beatles, and other such acts that withstood the test of time to become commercial success stories in multiple decades, The Everly Brothers seemed to hit a wall in the early 60′s, and never really rekindled their popular magic later in life. Why did this happen? How could an act that was so popular, and seemed to resonate so deeply with the American public get lost in the shuffle?
Authenticity and dysfunction are regularly celebrated in country music, and what better way to celebrate that than to look back in time a some of the most notable mugshots and arrests of country music’s most notable stars: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr., Glen Campbell, Rodney Atkins, Wynonna Judd, Kid Rock, David Allan Coe, Johnny Paycheck, and many more.
If you want to find some snark and sarcasm from the 2012 Grammy Awards, you should check out the official Saving Country Live Blog from last night. Yes, Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj supplied some gag reflex moments, but there was also a lot of substance and lessons to be taken from the night’s festivities. Here are the top three things I learned.