Artist:Glen Campbell
Song:Gentle On My Mind
Album:Country Hits Of The 60s
Glen Campbell was already an accomplished session guitarist when Gentle On My Mind made him one of the most popular recording artists and TV stars of the early 60s and into the 70s. He was born Apr. 22, 1936 in Delight, AR. He received his first guitar at the age of four and emulated jazz guitarists like Django Reinhardt & Barney Kessel. By age 18 he was touring the south with his band The Western Wranglers. He moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and soon earned a reputation as an excellent session musician. Campbell released some solo recordings but had mixed success and returned to sessions. When Brian Wilson had a nervous breakdown and decided to retire from touring with The Beach Boys in 1965, he hired Campbell as his replacement. Campbell turned down a full time position with the band because he wanted an equal cut of the royalties. Meanwhile, The Beach Boys label Capitol Records signed him to a contract. They marketed him as a country artist and Campbell had his first crossover hit with the John Hartford song Gentle On My Mind. Hartford wrote the song in 15 minutes after watching the film Doctor Zhivago. This got Campbell a TV variety series and the show was a big hit on CBS. Campbell had several more hits but Gentle On My Mind is considered his signature song. This various artists budget comp is very short but you can get the song on plenty of CDs. Glen Campbell was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2005. He recently returned to Capitol Records and a new CD is scheduled for Aug. 2008. Here's Glen Campbell & John Hartford performing Gentle On My Mind.
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