Glen Campbell opens up about his battle with Alzheimer’s

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Glen Campbell passed away Tuesday, Aug 8. He was 81. In 2011, the musician announced that he had Alzheimers. KCRW spoke to him then.

Here’s that interview:

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It’s hard to label musician Glen Campbell in any particular genre. His roots, of course, are deep in country music.

But he was also one of the first artists to crossover from country to pop, landing hits on both Billboard charts.

He even toured with The Beach Boys, acted in a few movies – like ‘True Grit’ with John Wayne – and hosted a variety show, “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour” on CBS.

Now, at 78 years old, Campbell isn’t fighting tour managers or publicity agents. He’s fighting Alzheimer’s disease, which he announced to the world he had a few years ago, when he embarked on a final album and goodbye tour.

One filmmaker had access to those months of months of recording and being on the road. James Keach directed the documentary “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,” which is set to be released in theaters soon. He spoke with KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis.

Watch a trailer for “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me”: