Fellow Artists And Friends React To The Passing Of Glen Campbell

The Oak Ridge Boys

“When I first came to Nashville, Tennessee to join the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, I wasn’t with the group two weeks before Duane Allen took me to the CMA Awards, my first ever. I rented a tuxedo that looked like a high school prom tuxedo—horrible. That was the best I could do at the time. Glen Campbell came out and sang ‘By the Time I Get To Phoenix,’ and sat on the edge of the stage and sang it. I loved Glen Campbell. I had all of his records up to that point. I could not believe that I was sitting in the Opry House, actually watching Glen Campbell sing. Over the years, we became very good friends.” – Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys)

“I think probably, the sweetest time I had with Glen Campbell is when I would be with him, pitching songs to each other. Glen Campbell was one of the great song men I’ve ever met in my life. Glen taught me so much about the importance of finding great songs. When we worked together, which was many times, like in Branson, when we opened up the Palace Theatre. We opened it up together. We would wind up on our bus, playing songs until one night we played so long that he just fell asleep. He just didn’t want to give it up, and he would wake up at the end of the song and say ‘Play another one.’ I’d say, ‘don’t you think we need to go to sleep?’ He’d say ‘Yeah, but I’d just love to hear these new songs.’ We would just keep playing song. One time we were out in the Sparks, Nevada working with Mel Tillis and he said ‘Glen called and he wants us to come over to Tahoe and play some songs.’ So we got in Mel’s plane and flew to Tahoe, and we played songs at Glen’s place, just played songs for each other for about two hours until we were horse. Then we flew back to Sparks, did our shows and Glen did his at Lake Tahoe. Short time ago I went to visit Glen at the home where he was staying and handed him a guitar. He picked it up and strummed it a little bit, gave me a big smile, and it was hard to see a man who looked really healthy, looked really good, still smiled real big, but not be able to communicate like he once did. But I have so many memories of him. And I pray that someday, we’ll find a cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s and those people who need help and that’s my one prayer.” – Duane Allen (The Oak Ridge Boys)