R.I.P. Glen Campbell

Country Music Hall of Fame artist Glen Campbell has died at the age of 81. His family has written online: "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, at the age of 81, following his long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease. Glen is survived by his wife, Kim Campbell of Nashville, TN; their three children, Cal, Shannon and Ashley; his children from previous marriages, Debby, Kelli, Travis, Kane, and Dillon; ten grandchildren, great- and great-great-grandchildren; sisters Barbara, Sandra, and Jane; and brothers John Wallace “Shorty” and Gerald." In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Glen Campbell Memorial Fund at BrightFocus Foundation.

Campbell found success in the mid-'60s to the late '80s with songs like "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," and "Rhinestone Cowboy," which hit number 1 on the Billboard chart. He later hosted the The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, a variety show on TV from 1969 to 1972. Plus, he was a member of the infamous "Wrecking Crew" session musicians who worked on albums by Phil Spector, the Monkees, and the Beach Boys. (That's Campbell playing guitar on "Good Vibrations" and "Help Me Rhonda.")

In 2011, he announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. With the help of producer Julian Raymond, he set out to record one last album before he was unable to. In 2008, he released the album Meet Glen Campbell, which featured covers of contemporary tracks from artists like The Replacements, U2, and Travis. For his what-was-intended-as final (and 61st) album Ghost on the Canvas, he had artists write songs for him, like Paul Westerberg, Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, and more. (While his health continued to hold up, he went on to release several more albums, including Adiós, which came out this past June.)