H.R. No. 496
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, American popular music has lost one of its greatest
stars with the death of guitarist and singer Glen Campbell on August
8, 2017, at the age of 81; and
WHEREAS, Glen Travis Campbell was born in Billstown,
Arkansas, on April 22, 1936, to John and Carrie Campbell; one of 12
children in a family of sharecroppers, he learned to play the guitar
at the age of four, and he was playing professionally by the age of
15; and
WHEREAS, Early in his career, Mr. Campbell was a sought-after
session guitarist in Los Angeles, playing for artists as diverse as
Dean Martin, the Beach Boys, Merle Haggard, and the Ronettes, and
his guitar can be heard on such classic recordings as Frank
Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night," the Monkees' "I'm a Believer,"
and Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas"; and
WHEREAS, By the late 1960s, Mr. Campbell's country charm,
boyish good looks, and warm tenor voice had propelled him to stardom
in his own right, performing such hits as "Gentle on My Mind,"
"Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix,"
and from 1969 to 1972, he hosted a hit TV variety show, The Glen
Campbell Goodtime Hour; during these years, he also appeared as a
Texas Ranger in the classic John Wayne western, True Grit, and as a
Vietnam veteran turned singer in the film Norwood; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Campbell went on to record more hits such as
"Rhinestone Cowboy," "Southern Nights," "Sunflower," and "Country
Boy"; over the course of a remarkable career that spanned half a
century, he recorded more than 70 albums and sold 45 million
records, including 12 gold records, 4 platinum records, and 1
double-platinum record; he won 10 Grammys, including 3 Grammy Hall
of Fame Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award, and 10 Academy of
Country Music Awards; in 2005, he was inducted into the Country
Music Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Near the end of his life, Mr. Campbell waged a
courageous public battle with Alzheimer's disease, undertaking a
"Goodbye Tour" during which he performed with members of his family
before sold-out crowds; he won his final Grammy for the last song he
ever recorded, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," which was also featured in
the 2014 documentary, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me; and
WHEREAS, From the cotton fields of Arkansas to the recording
studios of Los Angeles to concert halls all around the world, Glen
Campbell won the respect of his peers and inspired generations of
younger performers with his musicianship and his talent, and the
mellow sound of his voice and the warmth of his personality will
remain forever gentle on the minds of his millions of fans; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory
of Glen Campbell and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his
family: to his wife, Kim Campbell; to his children, Debby, Kelli,
Travis, Kane, Dillon, Cal, Shannon, and Ashley; to his 10
grandchildren; and to his other relatives and his many friends and
fans; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Glen
Campbell.
Bell
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 496 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on August 15, 2017.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House