Howdy, folks, and welcome to the all-new STEVE COUNTRY. Y'all wanna know why we left in the first place?
Well, to tell the truth, a lot of country stars supported Trump during the election, and I didn't want to stay in that club, no matter who would have me for a member.
Well, I'm takin' my ten-gallon hat down from the rack, puttin' on my boots, and ridin' the country trail again, because although there are country stars like Toby Keith who sang at the (sparsely-attended) inauguration, we will also remember the John Denvers and Merle Haggards, and celebrate the Dixie Chicks and Chely Wrights and their equal, singers who truly believe in an America with liberty and justice for ALL, that doesn't believe in walls, but bridges. As one of my all-time favorite country stars, Mr. Ray Stevens, once sang, "Everything Is Beautiful." (By the way, who IS Ray Stevens? JK, Just Kidding! Wanted to see if anybody who remembered his 1970 Summer replacement show is awake!) As I said in my title, hello and welcome back to Steve Country. We got a lot of music, TV,football and NASCAR to talk about, so, saddle up and hang on, it's gonna be a wild ride!
Unfortunately, I have to start the all-new Steve Country by bidding farewell to one of the all-time greats, the one and only Glen Travis Campbell,born April 22,1936 in Billstown, a small community near Delight, AK, to Wes and Carrie. He had to engage in rigorous tasks on the family farm, until he learned guitar from his uncle Boo. He already performed on local radio stations at age 6, and honed his craft into adolescence, worshiping guitarists such as jazz innovator Django Reinhardt. In 1954, he moved to Alburquerque, NM, where he joined his uncle's band, Dick Billis and the Sandia Mountain Boys. Four years later, he formed his own band, the Western Wranglers, two years after that he moved to L.A. and joined the legendary band the Champs ("TEQUILA!") before moving on to a group of studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. He played for artists from Nat King Cole to his friend Elvis Presley who also came from a common background. In 1961, he achieved his first solo success with "Turn Around, Look At Me" and moved to the label where he would turn out his greatest hits, Capitol, the following year. His early Capitol recordings with the Green River Boys included "Kentucky Means Paradise" and "Truck Drivin' Man." (Relative to the anti-Trump commentary at the top of this blog, he covered Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier," but strongly disagreed with people who burned their draft cards.)
In 1967, Glen finally found his dream producer in Al deLory, and together they started cranking out hits that impacted the country, pop and AC charts, including "Gentle On My Mind," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," and I CAN'T write a Glen Campbell tribute blog without mentioning "By The Time I Get To Phoenix." In 1968, he hosted "The Summer Brothers Smothers Show" (Nuff said!) on CBS,which became "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" and launched, among others, the careers of comedy writers Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. He hosted The Beatles (on film), Cher, David Cassidy,the aforementioned Merle Haggard, and rising young stars Anne Murray, Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed. During the 60's and 70's, Glen was a jack of all trades and master of all media, having also appeared in the motion pictures TRUE GRIT (with John Wayne) and NORWOOD (with Joe Namath.)
In 1972, CBS cancelled The Goodtime Hour, but Glen Campbell remained active in TV with movies, specials, and guest shots. In 1973, he returned to the charts with his new signature hit, "Rhinestone Cowboy" (which earned him a new nickname and identity as he began wearing rhinestone-studded costumes on stage) which led to "Southern Nights," "Country Boy" and "Sunflower",among others. He appeared in, and recorded the title song to, Clint Eastwood's 1980 movie, "Any Which Way You Can," and made appearances on VH1, CMT, PBS,and A&E's "Biography". Among others, he inspired Alan Jackson and Keith Urban.
Glen was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and returned to Capitol with the album "Meet Glen Campbell,"wherein he broke out of his comfort zone and covered music by such new wave and alt-rock artists as Green Day, Travis, U2, and Foo Fighters. In 2010, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and said goodbye to touring with his children from his fourth and final marriage to ex-Rockette Kim Woolen, Cal, Shannon, and Ashley. In 2013, he released his last song, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You." A final album, "Adios," followed just this year. On August 8, the curtain came down on Glen Travis Campbell, who leaves behind 64 albums (including four soundtracks),decades of hits, (including one EDM, or Electronic Dance Music remix),five sons and three daughters from four wives,and many saddened fans, many of whom, such as Yours Truly, followed his career from the early days. The Rhinestone Cowboy may have ridden off into the sunset, but his legacy still shines.
(In a related development, let not thy hearts be troubled, Willie Nelson fans! He had a brief scare performing in Salt Lake City, UT due to the altitude, but he's doing fine! If you visit his YouTube channel, you might hear his new song, "Not Dead Yet." Nuff said!)
Good to be back, Buckaroos!
Steve
