The long goodbye to the Rhinestone Cowboy
Did you see the very poignant item on US country and western singer Glen Campbell on British TV at the weekend? Depending on how old you are, you may remember Campbell’s greatest hits among them, Rhinestone Cowboy, Galveston, Gentle on my Mind, and Wichita Lineman.
The singer was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and has gone public with how he and his gorgeous, clearly devoted wife of 30 years, Kim Woollen, are coping.
So far, so good. But there were times during the interview when I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Elements seemd almost comedic, a skit on the dreadful disease and how it “steals” sufferers from their loved ones.
The singer had a glazed look about the eyes when asked about the disease, saying things like he “hadn’t gotten it yet”, turning towards his wife, who gently corrected him, saying: “You’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.”
He seemed surprised, saying he hadn’t “felt it yet’, and had “always been forgetful”, though he was “only what, 78″. His wife reminded him he was in fact 75.
The interview was not just about creating awareness of the condition, but also to publicise the release of his final studio album, Ghost on the Canvas, and the international Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour, that starts in the US today.
It’s the last time his fans will get to see him live onstage. Campbell and his wife say they want people to know about his medical condition, to explain any memory lapses he may have when performing live on stage.
There are sure to be plenty of those. Campbell was shown in the recording studio with his voice tapering off as the lyrics of his most famous songs eluded him. But he will have a teleprompter on stage to help him fill in the gaps the dementia disease gouges in the memory of sufferers.
The TV presenter ended the interview by saying Campbell’s Goodbye Tour signals “the long goodbye”, as Alzheimer’s is known. It progressively destroys the cerebral cortex and thus the ability to think, communicate and comprehend.
Not surprisingly, then, Alzheimer’s has been described as “a cataclysm” that “tests the human spirit of caregivers like no other”, as they have to watch what used to be a vibrant personality and spirit disappear agonisingly slowly, before their very eyes.