Campbell shines in 1st show since Alzheimer's news

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BILOXI, Miss. (AP) -- Glen Campbell leaned over his blue electric guitar, plucked a few strings and made a sour face.

"Dadgum it," he said.

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Campbell, 75, fiddled a few seconds longer while standing backstage Friday night at the IP Casino and finally found a perfect D chord.

"There it is," he said, before turning on his heel and marching into the spotlight. He launched into "Gentle on my Mind" and — without so much as clearing his throat — nailed it.

"That first one is a doozey, ain't it?" Campbell asked the crowd.

It was classic Glen Campbell. Alzheimer's disease may have changed a lot of things in the Country Music Hall of Famer's life, but his ability to create sounds that still resonate in our shared memory with his blue G&L Comanche on "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" or his Hamer 12-string on "Southern Nights" is virtually untouched.

In the night's finest moment, Campbell brought the crowd to its feet after nailing the delicate runs in the middle of his classic "Wichita Lineman."

Campbell's first performance since announcing he has Alzheimer's, the degenerative brain disease that's slowly robbing him of his memories and abilities, was largely a triumph. His family and road crew were worried he might be rusty after a long layoff since his last performance. Except for a few flubbed lyrics, quickly corrected with the help of teleprompters, Campbell and his band powered through a tight 22-song set interspersed with self-deprecating jokes.

Fronting a band that includes four of his children and close friends, Campbell played favorites like "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Galveston" and finished the evening with two songs from his new album, "Ghost on the Canvas," out Aug. 30 on Surfdog Records.

The album, which features guest appearances and song contributions from Paul Westerberg, Jakob Dylan, Keith Urban, Billy Corgan, Brian Setzer, Rick Nielsen and Dick Dale, is Campbell's last studio album.

Tour manager Bill Maclay said the good mood is due to the presence of Campbell's family. His wife, Kim, began coming on the road with him three years ago. And his band includes his oldest daughter, Debby Campbell-Cloyd, who sings harmony, and his three youngest children: sons Cal on drums and Shannon on guitar, and daughter Ashley on banjo and keyboards. All those familiar faces make Campbell feel comfortable.

 The original video for Galveston, one of Glen's most loved classic's!