Glen Campbell, Country Music Icon, Dead at 81
Glen Campbell, a superstar in the worlds of country and pop music, has died at the age of 81, according to a Facebook post from his family.
"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."
Campbell sold more than 45 million albums over the course of his career and had 75 chart hits. In addition, his upbeat presence made him a mainstay of both the small and large screens in America during the late Sixties and early Seventies.
Campbell announced in 2011 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his wife, Kim, eight children and 10 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.
Campbell bravely played almost right up to the point where he could no longer perform, going out on the road in 2011 for his final I'll Be Me tour with some of his family members.
More on this story as it develops.
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Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
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