Glen Campbell facts: The life, songs and death of the session man turned country legend

21 July 2026, 11:00

A closer look at the life and times of an all-time great country legend.

Glen Campbell was a legend of country music who released over 60 albums across his stunning five decade career.

He also fronted a hit variety show on TV and starred in a hit movie, but his road to success was far from a given.

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From his incredibly humble beginnings through his life as a session player, a stint as an actual Beach Boy and beyond, the Glen Campbell story was a fascinating one.

But how much do you know about the man, his life and his songs?

Read on for all the fast facts you need.

When was Glen Campbell born and where did he grow up?

Glen Travis Campbell was born on April 22, 1936 in Billstown in Pike County, Arkansas as the seventh of 12 children of sharecropper dad John Wesley Campbell and mum Carrie Dell Campbell.

He had a poor upbringing, growing up on a farm growing cotton and other crops.

Glen dropped out of school in the 10th grade and worked in Houston installing insulation and also at a gas station, but music was calling from an early age.

How did Glen Campbell get into music?

Despite not having much money, Glen Campbell's dad bought his son a five-dollar guitar when he was four.

His Uncle Boo taught him the basics, and he was playing local radio stations when he was just six years old.

Campbell honed his skills in his limited downtime from the cotton fields, being influenced by the likes of Django Reinhardt.

He sung gospel in church and played at local fairs an picnics, and then nightclubs, before moving to Albuquerque to join his uncle's band s Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys.

In his early 20s, Campbell formed his own band The Western Wranglers and played as much as possible. He moved to Los Angeles in 1960 to become a session musician.

What records did Glen Campbell play on as a session musician?

"Mary, Mary" by The Monkees

While recording his own solo demos and having a spot in The Champs (they who had previously scored a massive hit with 'Tequila'), Campbell's reputation as a great player earned his position in the acclaimed Wrecking Crew collective who featured on many recordings of the era.

It's impossible to list every single record that featured Glen's playing (usually on guitar, but sometimes banjo, mandolin and bass, too), but he's believed to be on records by the following acts.

Deep breath.

The Beach Boys, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, The Monkees, Nancy Sinatra, Merle Haggard, Jan and Dean, Bing Crosby, Phil Spector, Sammy Davis Jr., Doris Day, Bobby Vee, The Everly Brothers, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Wayne Newton, The First Edition, The Kingston Trio, Roger Miller, Gene Clark, Lou Rawls and Elvis Presley.

Leon Russell called Campbell "the best guitar player I'd heard before or since", despite not being able to read music.

He added: "Occasionally we'd play with 50- or 60-piece orchestras. His deal was he didn't read, so they would play it one time for him, and he had it".

When was Glen Campbell in The Beach Boys?

Beach Boys (With Glen Campbell) Interview by Jim McKenna, CFCF Montreal

When Brian Wilson's health issues meant him briefly leaving The Beach Boys as a touring member in December 1964, it was Glen Campbell who filled in.

Glen played bass and sang falsetto until the middle of May 1965. He was then replaced more permanently by Bruce Johnston.

But everyone parted on good terms, with Brian Wilson (and Russ Titelman) writing Glen's 1965 single 'Guess I'm Dumb', and Glen popping up on Pet Sounds a year later.

What were Glen Campbell's biggest hits?

The Universal Soldier

Glen Campbell's biggest songs included:

• Turn Around, Look at Me
• Kentucky Means Paradise
• Gentle on My Mind
• By the Time I Get to Phoenix
• Hey Little One
• I Wanna Live
• Dreams of the Everyday Housewife
• Wichita Lineman
• Let It Be Me (with Bobby Gentry)
• Galveston
• True Grit
• Try a Little Kindness
• Honey Come Back
• All I Have to Do Is Dream (with Bobbie Gentry)
• Everything a Man Could Ever Need
• It's Only Make Believe
• Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
• Oklahoma Sunday Morning
• Manhattan, Kansas
• Bonaparte's Retreat
• Rhinestone Cowboy
• Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)
• Don't Pull Your Love 
• Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
• Southern Nights
• Sunflower
• Any Which Way You Can
• A Lady Like You
• It's Just a Matter of Time
• I Have You
• She's Gone, Gone, Gone

What movies and TV shows did Glen Campbell appear in?

True Grit - Trailer

As well as his incredible musicianship, Glen Campbell had a brilliant visual presence that was put to use in some significant projects.

There were small or cameo roles, usually as a musician, in films like Baby the Rain Must Fall and The Cool Ones, but the standout was 1969's True Grit, opposite John Wayne and Kim Darby.

A sprinkling of other movies followed, from a spot in Any Which Way You Can to animated musical comedy Rock-a-Doodle.

He popped up on telly here and there, and hosted The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS from 1969 until 1972.

How many times was Glen Campbell married and how many children did he have?

Glen Campbell married four times and had nine children.

He wed Diane Marie Kirk in 1955 and they had two children before they divorced four years later. He married beautician Billie Jean Nunley in 1959 and they had three children before getting divorced in 1976.

Glen then married Sarah Jan Davis that year, and they had one child before their divorce in 1980

He had a working and romantic relationship with fellow musician Tanya Tucker, and after they split he married Kimberley Woollen in 1982, and they had three children together.

When did Glen Campbell die and how old was he?

Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman (Live Goodtime Hour)

Glen Campbell announced in June 2011 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

He entered a treatment facility in 2014 and died on August 8, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 81.

Glen was survived by Kim, his wife of 34 years, and she later published the memoir Gentle on My Mind: In Sickness and in Health with Glen Campbell.