This Blog is my tribute to Glen Campbell, by way of Galveston.
This Blog is also my tribute to Special Friendships.
During my days of pursuing my MBA degree in the USA, I made friends with a fellow counter-culture student named John. One day, he told me his Mom was the Mayor of Galveston. I replied that Galveston was one of my favourite childhood songs.
Proceed to Scene Two – we’re in his car enroute to Galveston. He has to pay a visit to his home. John kindly showed me the sights and sounds of his coastal resort home, Galveston.
Galveston Island is shaped like a pencil. Yes, Galveston is an island.
Spontaneous Galveston Get-Together : Decades later, one Sunday afternoon, I was surfing the internet with my iPad when I had a crazy challenge to say Hi to John. After a creative search through Google, I found out that his Mom was involved in a Galveston public institution.
I sent a Message to her explaining who I am and that I wanted to get in touch with her son John.
The next day, I saw an email from a certain John from Texas!
Daddies now, we shared fond MBA college memories like it was last week.
My all-time favourite Glen Campbell song is “There Is No Me … Without You“, which was featured in his 61st(!) album – “Ghost On The Canvas”. He has 62 albums to his glorious name!
It’s the last song on his second last album while he was alive. I love the seamless hard driving guitar solos courtesy of Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Brian Setzer, Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) and Marty Rifkin. It’s like his friends’ are paying their heart-felt tributes to Glen in his last hurrah via their unique guitar styles.
I always play this song LOUD (when there’s no one in my house), it’s damn hard to have dry eyes after hearing that emotional song especially after the guitar solos. The guitarists really poured out their souls in their guitar solos.
Rick, Billy, Brian and Marty all brought their A-Game to the song’s recording, as their respects and adorations for Glen.
My treasured CD is the one with his autograph, “Meet Glen Campbell” (above image). It contains Tom Petty’s song “Walls” and John Lennon’s “Grow Old With Me”.
A gifted guitarist, Glen was part of the legendary recording sessionists known as the Wrecking Crew based out of Los Angeles. He enjoyed great hit-song collaborations with Jimmy Webb.
His songs never fail to give me pause in whatever I’m doing at the moment – in savouring a brief Quiet Moment with my inner Zen.
His songs have pixie dust in them – Wichita Lineman, Galveston, True Grit, By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Gentle On My Mind, Rhinestone Cowboy and Country Boy.
Glen Campbell, during his brief 81 years on earth, fulfilled the Boy Scout motto – “Leave It Better Than You Found It”.
