Tickets for Glen Campbell’s final show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Nov. 30 go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9. It’s part of the “Goodbye Tour,” Campbell’s farewell concert series in the wake of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
I respect Campbell and his family, and their decision to face his illness in a public and forthright way. They give the audience a clear understanding of the challenges Campbell faces, and provide context for his new and deeply personal music.
Campbell’s new album “Ghost on the Canvas,” billed as his final release, reflects his condition. The opening song “A Better Place” spells that out: “Some days I’m so confused Lord, my past gets in my way, I need the ones I love, Lord, more and more each day.”
It is a powerful and emotional album, and the last musical testament of a major figure in pop and country music. The songs document both his struggles and hopes, and even songs by Paul Westerberg and Jakob Dylan seem tailored for Campbell.
As fine as this album is, reflections on mortality are not everyone’s first download choice.
If you don’t know Campbell’s work, you might consider a collection of his early hits. In tandem with Jimmy Webb, Campbell created several pop masterpieces, including “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman,” that rank with anything of their era.
