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May 2015
Posts: 186
Location: Glendora, CA | Hey guys, Just finished the documentary on Glen Campbell's struggle with Alzheimer's "I'll Be Me". Still drying my eyes. Such amazing performances. Magical in some ways that music was the last to leave him. But man oh man it is so difficult to watch that amazing man drifting into the twighlight. It was so brave for him and his family to put themselves out there to shine the light on this devastating disease. Loosing an uncle, grandmother, and cousin to it I never had as intimate a portrait of the daily struggles, triumphs, laughter and tears. It's hard, very hard, but I encourage everyone to see this beautifully devastating portrait of this legendary artist. |
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May 2008
Posts: 1556
Location: Indiana | Just spent some time last night with Jeff Dayton. Jeff and I play the same songwriter festival on the gulf coast every year. He's written a beautiful song for Glen. Both he and Carl Jackson are a part of this wonderful festival. They are in a very exclusive fraternity. Two great guitar players who, at one point in their lives, had one of the finest guitar players... ever... look them in the eyes and be ask them to come play with him.
Then there are so many of us who were ultimately, and indelibly influenced, from a distance, by Glen. Across the spectrum from Keith Urban to The Edge.
We won't forget.
Grateful... and heartbroken.
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Posts: 152
Location: Corpus Christi, TX | I watched it tonight and everything you said I echo. |
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December 2014
Posts: 1713
Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | It is on my Netflix que to stream, but I have to wait for an afternoon when I can have a good cry when I watch it. It is one of those that you know it is going to make you cry and cry, but will be unforgetable, and worth every tear. |
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May 2015
Posts: 186
Location: Glendora, CA | Nancy I am not gonna lie, there were moments, many of them where I found myself sobbing, like the deep body kind. But it is so worth it. And since I watched it alone it was easy to let go. What a beautiful man.
Looking forward to watching it again with the wife who lot her granddad a few years back to A. Hoping I will be able to hold it together. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4046
Location: Utah | The way his family watched over him on and off stage is remarkable. They set up quite a support structure around him. Though his memory impairment was obvious when we saw him in concert here, I never knew until I saw the movie how much worse he was off stage. The tour may have started as one thing, but it ended up being what kept his mind from deteriorating faster. |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Quite a powerful documentary.
Looks like the show I saw was somewhere in the last quarter of the tour.
I think we saw one of the "good" nights. There was a little hiccup here and there but pretty much a solid show. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Good movie. It was very moving both to watch him dying as well as watching Ovation dying. And you think you guys cried! They both did so much for the music of our era
Here's to hoping DW is very successful in breathing life back into Ovation
And yes, I have a Glen Campbell song on my cd, dedicated to him and all the former employees. |
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May 2015
Posts: 186
Location: Glendora, CA | So wonderful that so many of you all got to see him live.
@flysig - great observations! It is so remarkable how the musical neural pathways stayed more connected for him than language and lyrics. it's clear we should all play our O's as often as possible. Music is a magical thing. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12758
Location: Boise, Idaho | By the time he got to Phoenix (I couldn't resist), where we saw him, he was still doing pretty well. A few mistakes and repeats, but he seemed so happy that it was impossible to feel sad about him. I saw the documentary for the first time on CNN and then as second time with my wife on Netflix. I asked, through the website, for them to bring it to Boise and his wife came out when it played in a local theater in May. I was sorry we missed it because we were in France. I would have like to meet such a strong woman.
My mom has Alzheimer's and will claim that she doesn't remember how to play piano or sing, but once she starts, it all comes back. Conversations are almost always interrupted or ended with some song or jingle that contains the words we were just talking about this. She always did that when we were growing up, but now she doesn't remember why the song was in her head by the time she finishes it. The music must stay in the brain longer than anything. |
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August 2011
Posts: 887
Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Alzheimers is mainly (but not exclusively) a disease of the forebrain (the newest layer)(that which differentiates us from our primate ancestors). The neural layers of which we are speaking (music and "muscle memory" lie much deeper than that and are affected by the disease much later (although they too will ultimately be affected)(look at poor Glen now). It is a patient disease (like cancer) and the next phase will always lurk unseen around the next bend in the road! |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Lady Stonebobbo and I watched the movie the night before we took her mom (92) to an assisted living facility. She had been living with us for two years as the disease progressed, and we could no longer provide the 24/7 vigilance it was taking. The movie validated that it was time to go to the next step. Evelyne was showing all the behaviors Glen exhibited in the movie. It's especially hard when physically everything is good but the mind had gone to its own place, and all of the things that go along with it.
I got a chance to chat briefly with Glen at NAMM 2012 on the Ovation booth while Moody was hitting on Glen's wife Kim. I could tell then that the disease was affecting him. I think he thought I was Beal even though I told him no. He was really nice, funny, and seemingly looking forward (what with the new album and upcoming tour,) but I could see the "Evelyne" in him. But the movie crystallized everything and I understand much better now ... which I guess was the point of the movie.
I've recently read about the challenges Glen's family is having with him, and it was the experience we are seeing on our end. Within two weeks of moving, Evelyne no longer knew who we were when we visited. She knew to be nice and cheerful, but when Kimby-D got up to walk across the room, I heard her ask the attendant who "that nice girl" was.
Clearly the movie has shined a light on what living through disease is like, and is very helpful to families dealing with this. Yes it's hard to watch, but everyone really does need to see it.
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March 2005
Posts: 12758
Location: Boise, Idaho | Since Alzheimer's affects so many families these days, the movie is really essential and I applaud the Campbell family for allowing it to be made and helping create it. As tough as it is to watch, it is entertaining and uplifting. It gave me a better appreciation of what I had been reading about the disease. It's just hard to digest and remember those medical journal articles, but when I could see the stages of the disease in Glen, I could recall some of the written material I had read.
Fortunately, for my family, my Mom's disease does not seem to be following the "normal" pattern. The family members who have medical training suspect that Mom doesn't have true Alzheimer's, but another form of dementia. It has been a slow progression and she still remembers her kids' names, spouses and many of the grandkids. From there up to what happened 30 seconds ago appears to be a blank. She has some physical problems that Glen didn't seem to have, probably because she wasn't in good physical condition to start with, like Glen was. Both parents still live together in an independent living facility and Dad really struggles. It's hard to be a full time caregiver at any age, much less 88. I doubt she lasts long after we reach that point where she has to move to a full care facility.
Bobbo, I remember thinking you were Beal the second time I saw you, too. My brain has been going south even way back then. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Bobbo, it was NAMM 2011, not 2012. And it was much cooler for me to hit on his wife, than you hitting on Glen.
I saw Glen perform with Jimmy Webb in 2007. I remember thinking that something was wrong. Musically, he was outstanding, but he told the same joke about 6 times. My main thought was that the years of drugs and booze had caused some damage and he was paying the price. Alzheimer's never even crossed my mind...... |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Beal - 2015-11-08 8:10 AM
Good movie. It was very moving both to watch him dying as well as watching Ovation dying. And you think you guys cried! They both did so much for the music of our era
Here's to hoping DW is very successful in breathing life back into Ovation
And yes, I have a Glen Campbell song on my cd, dedicated to him and all the former employees.
His Guitar Remembers.
Pretty powerful tune. That and Laurel's Song show that despite what everybody says, the gas fumes from the station disn't do THAT much damage........ |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I just watched the I'll Be Me movie online...
Now I don't know how I feel.
It was very informative, educational, and entertaining.
But it is kinda Sad too...
If you haven't seen it, it is available online HERE
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | moody, p.i. - 2015-11-10 6:06 PM
Alzheimer's never even crossed my mind......
That's usually the first sign |
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I'll Be Me
