Deadwood Magazine - History, News, Photos and Features from the American Frontier

Glen Campbell

Brings Southern Nights to Deadwood
By Nick Thomas

CREDIT: Glen Campbell

After 50 years in the entertainment business, record sales of over 45 million, and 75 trips up the pop and country music charts, Glen Campbell will be heading to Deadwood on June 20th to perform during the “Wild Bill Days” celebration. Campbell, however, is no stranger to the area.

“This is not the first time Glen has been here,” says Sarah Anderson, event coordinator for the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce. “He was the first act to play on Main Street 20 years ago. We are very excited to have him back and he has a brand new album out.”

The album, “Meet Glen Campbell,” peaked at number 27 on the Billboard country charts last year. Though a far cry from his numerous chart-toppers of the past, the album received good reviews and had special significance for Campbell. In addition to his daughter, Debby, who has been singing along side her father for the last two decades, the record’s list of backing vocalists features more Campbells than a supermarket soup aisle – Dillon, Cal, Shannon, and Ashley Campbell also joined their famous dad on the album.

“This was the first time so many of my children worked on one of my records,” said Campbell from his home in Malibu. “It was great to have them all involved.”

For long-time fans, the new record is an opportunity to rediscover the veteran singer who has entertained America for decades with his country-pop fusion style. But as the title suggests, Campbell also wanted to introduce himself to new audiences. “I’ve been meeting a lot of young people who thought I was just a country-and-western singer. The new album covers a wide variety of songs – some fairly contemporary, and others that go back several decades. It was most important for me that this still sounded like a Glen Campbell album, and I think it does.”

Campbell says he was approached after a concert two years ago by Capitol Records producer Julian Raymond, who suggested recording a new album of cover songs from a broad musical spectrum. “Julian asked if I wanted to do a new record,” says Campbell. “I had never met him before – he just turned up out of the blue!”

Raymond compiled a list of over 100 songs, which he and Campbell whittled down to the 10 finally selected for the album. “I had a lot of faith in what he was doing. He chose some good songs – proven songs,” says Campbell.

Tracks include cover versions of “Sing,” the 2001 hit by the Scottish alternative rock group Travis, Tom Petty’s “Angel Dream,” Jackson Browne’s “These Days” from the 1960s, and “Grow Old With Me,” one of the last songs written by John Lennon who recorded it with his wife, Yoko Ono, in their home shortly before Lennon’s death. It has since become a popular tribute song at weddings. “Lennon never got to record it professionally in the studio,” says Campbell. “Yoko let me use it on the album, and you can really imagine him singing it to her.”

Despite being well-known as a singer throughout his career, Campbell is perhaps less recognized as an accomplished musician. But in his early years, he was hotly sought as a reliable and skillful session guitarist. In fact, name almost any music legend from the ‘60s – Dean Martin, Elvis, Ricky Nelson, The Beach Boys, Ray Charles – and Glen probably played guitar on some of their hit songs.

Listen again to Frank Sinatra’s classic, “Strangers in the Night.” That’s Campbell on rhythm guitar performing all the guitar licks, which no doubt helped push the song to the top of the charts in 1966. “I played the melody along with him,” says Campbell, proudly. “That was the topper of all time, I think, to get to play with Sinatra!”

Davy Jones, former vocalist for the 60s pop group, The Monkees, recalls working with Campbell. “Glen began his career as a studio musician and played on numerous records, including a few for The Monkees,” said Jones from his home in New York. “He was an amazing musician and very talented. I had great respect for his artistry and was a big fan of his music.”

On stage, Campbell’s nimble fingers will still belt out popular guitar solos such as “Classical Gas,” the Mason Williams’ pop hit from 1968. But Glen knows classical, too. With an orchestral accompaniment, his blistering guitar version of the William Tell Overture ending is a favorite with concert goers, especially when Campbell displays his theatrical nature by playing with the instrument balanced on his head towards the conclusion of the piece.

Scott Olson recalls Campbell dazzling the audience with the Rossini classic during a concert with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra back in 2001, at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. “It’s a difficult piece, mainly for the string sections because of the fast passages,” explains Olson, who has been principal trumpet with the SDSO since 1992.

“PBS was filming the performance for a DVD and the crowd was very receptive. Glen is not only a good singer, but a great guitarist,” says Olson. “Typically we have three pops shows a year like that one because it’s a great way to attract a lot of people who might not normally come to a symphony concert.”

Campbell says performing with a first-class orchestra like the SDSO is a treat. “I love playing with big orchestras, everything is so full and rich and it actually makes me sing better.”

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Over 40 years of musical success, hosting his own television series and movie stardom haven