The Singing Grave of Glen Campbell

 

"I'm not a country singer per se.  I'm a country boy who sings."

I first created this blog to showcase the many graves I have visited in my travels.  From time to time however, friends will send me their photos as well, which I'm only too happy to share.  Today's blog is no different, but it does highlight one of the most unique graves I've ever heard of and hope to one day visit myself.

Glen Travis Campbell was born in Billstown, Arkansas on April 22, 1936.  He was the son of a sharecropper, raised on a farm of potatoes, corn, watermelons and more.  Times were tight, so Campbell pitched in to help the family, picking cotton for as a little as $1 a day.

Campbell came from a musical family, and by age 4, he could already play the guitar.  He had no formal training, having taught himself by listening to radio and records.  When he turned 14, he began performing at fairs, church picnics, and other similar venues.  He formed his first band, the Western Wranglers, when he was just 18.  

His talents took him to Los Angeles in 1960, where he played on recordings for a number of top acts, including the Beach Boys, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra and more.  By 1968, he was hosting The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, a weekly variety series, which ran for three years (see Trivia below).  It wasn't until 1974 that he released Rhinestone Cowboy, which became his signature hit.

In 2011, Campbell announced that he had Alzheimer's disease.  He withdrew from public life, eventually settling in a long-term care facility in Nashville.  He ultimately died on August 8th, 2017.  He was 81 years old. 

Glen Campbell was laid to rest in his family's private cemetery in Billstown, Arkansas.

What makes this grave so unique?  As you pay your respects to the Rhinestone Cowboy, a carefully concealed sound system plays Campbell's rendition of Amazing Grace.  Give it a listen!

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Glen Campbell, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 1994, the Glen Campbell Goodtime Theatre, which borrowed its name from his CBS series, opened its doors in Branson, Missouri.  For the next three years, Campbell headlined the venue himself before it was rechristened in honor of the Oak Ridge Boys.  The facility was demolished in 2016 and is today the site of an emergency clinic.  However, a community of devoted fans still maintains an active Facebook page.
  
  
• In 2020, the Glen Campbell Museum opened in Nashville, featuring more than 4,000 square feet of artifacts and memorabilia from Campbell's life and career.  It closed in 2023 for relocation, but to date, has not yet reopened.  It too has a faithful Facebook following.
  
  
• Campbell was an avid golfer who often hosted the Los Angeles Open, later spending time on the greens in Arizona with fellow singer Alice Cooper.  Here's a clip of Campbell playing the Torrey Pines Tournament in the 1970s.
  
  
• Campbell tried his hand at acting, including the 1969 John Wayne western True Grit, for which he also provided the opening song.  Although the film is considered a classic today, Campbell was unimpressed by his own performance and quickly withdrew to his musical career.