1936 – 2017

Glen Campbell

Session legend. Country‑pop pioneer. The Rhinestone Cowboy.

From a sharecropper's cabin in Delight, Arkansas to 81 charted songs and more than 45 million records sold, Glen Campbell's guitar and voice shaped American music for half a century. This site keeps his story playing.

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81Charted Songs
45M+Records Sold
50MWeekly TV Viewers
2005Country Music Hall of Fame

The Story

Before the fame, he was the guitar player everyone wanted.

Long before his name went up in lights, Glen Campbell was the secret weapon of the Los Angeles studio scene. As part of the loose collective of session musicians later known as the Wrecking Crew, he played on records for Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the Beach Boys, including the sessions for Pet Sounds. When Brian Wilson came off the road in 1964, it was Glen who stepped in to tour as a Beach Boy.

Then came the run that made him a household name: "Gentle on My Mind," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman," and "Galveston" arrived in a two year stretch that carried him from sideman to superstar, and his weekly variety show brought country music into 50 million living rooms.

Read the full biography →

"Hey Little One," from the official Glen Campbell channel.

News & Notes

From the Campbell family and the archives

All News

Did You Know?

Think you know Glen Campbell?

A few favorites from our archives:

  • He was the first artist to win Grammy awards in both country and pop categories in the same year.
  • That guitar on Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night"? That's Glen.
  • He played the White House four times and gave two private shows for the UK's royal family.
  • He starred opposite John Wayne in the original True Grit, and its Oscar-nominated title song was his.
  • Glen was a scratch golfer, good enough that the PGA Tour played the Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open for years.

Essential Recordings

  1. Gentle on My Mind1967
  2. By the Time I Get to Phoenix1967
  3. Wichita Lineman1968
  4. Galveston1969
  5. Rhinestone Cowboy1975
  6. Southern Nights1977
  7. I'm Not Gonna Miss You2014

The Music Room

Inspired to play? Start here.

Glen picked up his first guitar as a kid in Arkansas and never put it down. Our editors keep a small library of lessons and gear guides for anyone following that road.

Lessons

The Guitar Knowledge Base

Chords, scales, and techniques from first strum to fast country picking, the style Glen made famous.

Guides

Finding the Right Acoustic

Our picks for every budget and hand size, from first guitars to stage-ready instruments.

Reviews

Gear & Instrument Reviews

Hands-on reviews of guitars, keyboards, and home music gear from our editors.