Glen Campbell Continues to Create Music After Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Glen Campbell, 75-year-old country singer, has announced that despite his Alzheimer’s disease he will create more music and embark on a national tour.
After coming out with his disease a few months ago, Campbell sat down with ABC’s Terry Moran to tell his story on Tuesday.
Although Campbell has been having trouble with his memory, he remembers his musical acclaim. The country musician was the force behind American hits, “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Wichita Lineman”. He also played guitar for Frank Sinatra in “Strangers in the Night” and worked with the Beach Boys on “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
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"I have been blessed, I really have," Campbell told Moran. "I really have, I figured it out that I'm not that bright, but God gave me a break."
Although the singer remembers that he has been blessed in life, he denied being a star before being reminded by Moran and his wife. This is the least of his memory trouble.
"Well, it's still the same size," Campbell said with a laugh after being corrected. "That's, ah, what was I saying? I'm going to be right in the middle of a sentence, man -- and it just goes, pew."
Campbell’s wife of close to 30 years, Kim Woollen, told Moran that she takes care of her husband who has trouble remembering his age.
“I just take care of him, which is a big job," she told Moran. "We'd been noticing short term memory loss for quite some time. You know, he repeats himself. Tells the same joke several times in a row."
At that, Campbell maintained his sense of humor.
"Well, yeah, it's funny," Campbell joked in front of ABC cameras.
Despite his continual memory loss, the singer has created one last album “Ghost on the Canvas”, and plans to embark on a goodbye tour with his children who play drums, guitar and keyboards.
Woollen said playing music has helped her husband during his difficult process.
"Music is a natural memory aid, and we're finding out, we think it really does help his memory and help keep him from declining," Woollen said. "So it's really good for him and all the love he gets from all the fans is really encouraging, so that's why we want to do it as long as we can, because it's healthy for all of us. Music is good medicine."
Aside from his music, Campbell had no issues remembering his wife and the support that she has been providing him.
“There's a verse in the Bible that says, 'If the man findeth a good wife he's found a good thing,' he said. “And I found a good thing, or she found me."
