The week has ended, work is finished for a day or two and the weekend has settled in. There are things to do, people to see and friends and family to share meals with. It was a busy week for me with a trip to Hollywierd to see the folks that help our business continue to thrive and succeed. It was also the week that Glen Campbell died. I never met Glen. He wasn’t a personal friend nor did I know his family well – though I did have the pleasure of meeting his wife Kim and daughter Ashley as some events while we were preparing to release the James Keach film “Glen Campbell, I’ll Be Me.” They were more than lovely and my heart goes out to them during this tough time. They have been on my mind all week.
So this weekend I finally settled in to relax a bit and collect the thoughts of the past week, and of Glen. As I sit here I am trying my best to figure out just why I feel so sad about his passing. Celebrities die all the time. As a film and music fan this has always affected me more than most people (I went into hiding when Sinatra passed) but this sadness isn’t leaving. I’m sure it has something to do with releasing the film and being a part of it that made me feel closer to Glen. Even if it was all just a part of the facade that comes with working on films that star people you don’t even know. There is a false sense of closeness that usually fades away as soon as you end the work on the picture. Even folks you actually become friends with sometimes fade away. Not all of them, but a lot. I guess it’s the nature of the business. But Glen is different. Maybe it’s because of the courage and commitment he showed in the film that put himself on the front line for all of us to see what Alzheimer’s will do to folks. This selfless act of giving was amazing and the fact that he allowed Keach’s camera crew to follow him around for a year and document his decline is worthy of praise from all corners of the world. The same can be said for the Campbell family who were there by his side throughout. So maybe this is why his passing is still something that continues to be felt inside of me. Maybe, but then again there is more of a reason to mourn the country star’s passing. I now find myself looking back at the times I was fortunate enough to see him perform and then I go back to what drew all of us to Glen in the first place – the guitar – and of course the music. Oh the music. The great and unforgettable music. As I sit here typing, “Gentle on my Mind” is coming through the Bluetooth speakers in my office. I intend to pass the next few hours paying tribute to the guy by sitting back and listening once again to the songs that will keep me close to the spirit of Glen Campbell. So here’s to “Galveston,” “Honey Come Back,” “Wichita Lineman”, “Dreams of an Everyday Housewife”, “Where’s the Playground Susie?”, “Rhinestone Cowboy”, “True Grit”, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, “These Days”, and so so many more. Glen left us with a legacy of songs that will, quite frankly, never leave us.
As a parting gift he left us a few more that appeared on his last album (I still call them that). “Ghost in the Canvas” which gave us many tunes that dealt with life, death, and loss. One of those songs rings so true today.
I will leave you with that tune to listen to below. It’s a special song and it’s called “A Better Place”. Listen to the words and you will see what I mean. God Bless you Glen Campbell. Thanks for being a part of the music of our lives. See you in heaven. A Better Place.
