‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ singer Glen Campbell has died at 81

Peter Frampton tweeted: “As well as your incredible musical abilities you were one of the most down to earth ppl I have ever known”. He will be remembered so well and with so much love, ‘ daughter Ashley posted on social media.

He was born in Billstown, a small Pike County community of about 50 near Delight, on April 22, 1936. “If it went out, that was it. Daddy didn’t buy another one”. “I learned it was crucial to play right on the edge of the beat… And once I had that capo in place, I didn’t look back”.

He spent his final years in an assisted living home in Nashville. The famous crack band mostly played on records by the Monkees, the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Phil Spector and Gary Lewis and the Playboys, according to the New York Times. The next year, he would record over 500 cuts.

He had his first hit By the Time I Get to Phoenix in 1967. The singer and musician was revered in both the pop and country worlds, having won two Grammy Awards in each genre and released over 70 albums throughout his career. Early on, Campbell’s father bought his a $5 guitar and made him a makeshift guitar capo out of a corncob, something that would influence his music for years to come.

Jimmy Webb, who wrote Wichita Lineman, said on Twitter he was, “so very sad about the passing of [his] dear friend”. In total, he made that list 21 times. He also moved into acting with roles in movies like True Grit.

In doing so, Campbell helped to increase the number of full-time country radio stations, thus strengthening the broadcasting infrastructure essential to the success of country recording artists, record labels, songwriters, publishers, and show promoters.

Before stardom, Campbell was part of the “Wrecking Crew,” a collection of highly regarded Los Angeles studio musicians that also included guitarists Barney Kessel and James Burton, and pianists Leon Russell and Mac “Dr John” Rebennack.

By 1969, Campbell had his own variety show, “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS”.

His best-selling single, “Rhinestone Cowboy”, was released in 1975 and has sold more than five million copies. The award-winning hit became one of Campbell’s signature songs, strongly associated with him throughout the rest of his career.