My Alzheimer's Journey
Part 130 - Happy Birthday Glen Campbell
I planned to publish this post Wednesday, April 22. Those plans changed when Linda slipped and fell early Wednesday morning. Her accident caused a fracture to her left leg. We spent most of the day and night at the University of North Carolina Hospital Emergency Room. We do not believe surgery will be needed; however, she is facing a long recovery.
Glen Campbell, an American country musician and actor, was born April 22, 1936. He died August 8, 2017 from Alzheimer’s disease.
Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, Glen and his wife, Kim, decided to use his fame and talents to raise the awareness of the disease. I feel certain their actions benefited me and everyone else diagnosed with Alzheimer’s after 2017. Glen Campbell helped to reduce the stigma of Alzheimer’s, highlighted the importance of caregivers, started a national conversation about Alzheimer’s, and raised money for research.
His Goodbye Tour lasted 425 days with 151 shows. The tour started on August 31, 2011 in Toronto and concluded on November 30, 2012 in Napa. There were 21 concerts in England, Scotland, and Ireland. I am amazed that Glen had the energy to maintain such a grueling schedule. As is common with everyone suffering from Alzheimer’s, he had good days and bad days. Seven concerts scheduled in Australia and New Zealand were cancelled.
Director James Keach produced, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, a documentary about the Goodbye Tour. You can watch the trailer on You Tube. The complete documentary is available on Netflix. The documentary certainly places a spotlight on Alzheimer’s and the challenges it presents for those suffering with the disease.
On May 12, 2016, Glen hosted "An Evening with Glen Campbell," an event to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease among members of Congress. This event was a combination of Alzheimer’s education, fundraising, and entertainment. Attending the event was Congressmen Ed Markey from Massachusetts (Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease). In 2024, Markey announced passage of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act. These laws essentially guaranteed long-term research funding.
In many ways, Glen Campbell’s Alzheimer’s journey was no different from mine or any other person suffering from Alzheimer’s. He was a husband, father, friend, relative, and neighbor. In his last days, he remembered how to play his songs, but he could not recall the names of his children. He had to be bathed, fed, and assisted with daily activities.
In September 2015, Kim moved Glen to Abe’s Garden in Nashville. Kim told their friends and family that she felt she had no choice. She said, “Our family joined a memory care community. It was our community, too. We lived each day with families on the same journey. We laughed together, cried together, prayed together and supported each other. If this disease becomes too difficult to manage at home, being part of a quality memory care community should be your first choice, not your last resort.”
Of course, many families struggle to find affordable care facilities for their loved one.
Glen Campbell died August 8, 2017. His legacy and Alzheimer’s advocacy continues to live on.
My Alzheimer’s Journey does not offer paid subscriptions. Instead, we depend on subscriber donations to cover the cost of research and writing. Additionally, all donations support my direct and indirect Alzheimer’s treatment expenses. Thank you.
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