Longtime Jewish Voice Ministries supporter and Country Music Hall of Fame member Glen Campbell died in Nashville August 8. He had been struggling through the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease. He was originally diagnosed with the disorder in 2011.
The superstar of rock and country music had not performed since 2012, but his last album was released just weeks before his death.
It was a bittersweet experience, capturing those last vocals before his health declined to the point that he could no longer sing, explained his wife, Kim.
And, while Campbell became a performer in 1952 and was a chart-topping, Grammy-winning singer from the 1960s, he and Kim did not become involved in the Messianic Jewish movement until the ’90s.
After some highly publicized problems, all-too common side effects of stratospheric stardom, Campbell sought help for drug abuse and became a Christian in the 1980s.
- When Brian Wilson left the Beach Boys, it was Glen Campbell who stepped in for him.
- He had his own TV show on CBS from 1969 to 1972, "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour," with a weekly audience of 50 million.
- He released more than 70 of his own albums and in the 1990s recorded a series of gospel CDs.
- He was the summer host for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s (even though the Smothers Brothers’ peppered the show with their very liberal politics and Campbell was just as conservative.)
- He played guitar on Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night,” Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas," and “Daydream Believer” with the Monkees.
- He won a Grammy for best country song in 2015 – four years after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The same song, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," was also nominated for an Oscar for best original song that year.
- He co-starred in the 1969 movie “True Grit” with John Wayne (for which Wayne won his only Oscar.)
“It was the early 1990s when Glen and I saw teaching about the Festivals of the Lord on Trinity Broadcasting Network,” Kim recalled. “We were blown away to learn how intricately they pointed to the work of the Messiah in His first and second comings.
“I immediately became a voracious student of the subject and ordered every book I could find written from a Messianic perspective.”
The Campbells then took their family to Israel, where they participated in Yeshiva classes. On their return to their home in Phoenix, they enrolled in Fuller Theological Seminary to take a class at the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute.
By then, they were ready to be not just students, but teachers as well.
“We hosted a conference by First Fruits of Zion at a Phoenix resort. Much to our amazement, 300 people showed up and expressed an interest in learning more,” Kim said.
Since there was no Messianic congregation in Phoenix at the time, they started a teaching foundation called Torah Study Chavurah, bringing in scholars from all over the world to teach the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.
It was during this period that my wife, Sandie, and I really got to know the Campbells. When we moved to Phoenix in 1998, they invited us to a local Saturday morning Messianic Jewish Bible study that they were leading.
“TSC grew very fast,” Kim explained. “One of the fun things we did was to put on an annual Sukkot celebration and Purim play.”
In fact, I played Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, in that play. A more famous Phoenix resident, Alice Cooper, also made an appearance in the production.
Our family became close friends with the Campbell family. When I went to work for Jewish Voice Ministries in 2004, I introduced them to Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, and they became generous supporters of JVMI.
Kim’s calling for the past 6 years had been that of caregiver.
She explained that the documentary, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, shared their journey with millions of people through countless screenings and prime-time broadcasts on CNN Presents and Netflix.
“Families everywhere living with Alzheimer's suddenly felt seen and heard because we were telling their story too,” Kim explained.
As an expansion of their quest to educate people about Alzheimer's Disease, Kim made it her personal mission to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and, in particular, their caregivers.
“In August of 2016, I launched CareLiving.org, a website and social movement designed to inspire, encourage and empower caregivers. The CareLiving website features regular articles and updates from me and a host of guest writers, specialists, musicians, doctors and other caregivers,” she said.
“I knew that there was a desperate need for a new voice – any voice! – for caregivers, but didn’t anticipate the outpouring of support that we’d received from fans, friends, medical professionals, ministries and others. Many caregivers feel that CareLiving.org is their voice – that we are not only speaking directly to them, but for them.”
- When Brian Wilson left the Beach Boys, it was Glen Campbell who stepped in for him.
- He had his own TV show on CBS from 1969 to 1972, "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour," with a weekly audience of 50 million.
- He released more than 70 of his own albums and in the 1990s recorded a series of gospel CDs.
- He was the summer host for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s (even though the Smothers Brothers’ peppered the show with their very liberal politics and Campbell was just as conservative.)
- He played guitar on Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night,” Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas," and “Daydream Believer” with the Monkees.
- He won a Grammy for best country song in 2015 – four years after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The same song, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," was also nominated for an Oscar for best original song that year.
- He co-starred in the 1969 movie “True Grit” with John Wayne (for which Wayne won his only Oscar.)
She suggests that, for those who are interested, the best way to get involved with CareLiving is to follow the social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; all @carelivingorg) and become part of the CareLiving community by sharing stories and experiences with others.
“In the near future we will venture in to real-world interactions and events that people can get more directly involved with, but for now we simply encourage caregivers to take care of themselves while caring for their loved ones,” she said.
