Glen Campbell Dies After Lengthy Battle With Alzheimer’s Disease

Country and pop music legend Glen Campbell passed away on August 7 following complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Although the 81-year-old is most famous for his hit records “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Wichita Lineman,” according to a report in Rolling Stone magazine, the singer and guitarist sold more than 45 million albums over an impressive six-decade career.

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Campbell announced he’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011 at the age of 75. He later announced that he’d be retiring because of the condition but not before recording an album and embarking on a farewell “Goodbye” tour with three of his children as backup musicians. The tour consisted of a staggering 151 dates and was followed by a film crew who created the award-winning “I’ll Be Me” documentary, chronicling Campbell’s journey with the condition and raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.

The singer and True Grit actor’s final years were spent in an assisted living facility where he was regularly visited by family and friends, who would sit with him for hours and play his old records. Earlier this year, Campbell released another studio album titled Adios, a record he’d recorded a few years earlier which consisted of cover versions of some of his favorite songs.

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