Glen Campbell boiled over with talent and personality. Whether singing or picking, he took a backseat to no one.  Always smiling and upbeat with a ready story for whatever the occasion may be. We worked stage shows together; lots of TV; awards shows; specials; even went to the White House together one time.  We guested on his TV show on the west coast and he guested on ours in Nashville.

I used to take my coat off at the end of each show as we said our goodnights and it would reveal that I had on dress suspenders with my suit.  Glen was amused by this and told me he had never worn suspenders.  I said, “Even with a tux?  Certainly you have.”  But he swore he never had.  I gave him a pair of mine after one of the shows.  Don’t know if he ever tried them or not. (They were very fashionable at the time.)

Half the time he would call Harold, Wayne.  He said he just looked like that’s what his name should be.  He used to say, “You guys can call him Harold all you want to but I’m gonna call him Wayne.”  And, of course, Harold called him something different every time he saw him which became a running gag.

The clip you will watch here is of Glen and the Statlers on his show sometime in the 80s in L.A.  I’ve been asked what I remember about the show.  I remember we had fun as we always did when we got together.  And I remember this small, unrelated tidbit:  I was sitting outside our dressing room in the hallway that day reading a book when someone sat down beside me and started talking to me.  I looked over at the guy and realized it was Fred Willard.  You know Fred today as Phil Dunfey’s father on “Modern Family” and from all the comedy movies.  (“Best In Show” is my favorite.) Fred’s a big Statler fan and we hit it off as I’m an equally big fan of his.

(Strange how one memory leads to another.)

We hosted Glen numerous times during our seven-year series and on the last season (’97-’98) he was there three times.  Harold and I wrote a special segment called “Hollywood” especially for him and Pat Boone where we would sing and salute songs from the movies.  Pat did three of them with us and Glen did three of them.

The final show aired in May of ‘98.  Glen was on that final show.

I could write a thousand words and more about him but isn’t a picture worth just that?  And a video full of laughs and memories is worth even more.

Click on it and enjoy.  It makes me smile every time I do.  Of course, remembering Glen always makes us smile.

DSR    8/9/17

WELL, THE 4^TH OF JULY HAS COME AND GONE

ANOTHER YEAR OF FIREWORKS AND FUN

I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME LOOKING AT THE CLOUDS

AND PRAYING FOR A LITTLE MORE SUN

AND GOD WAS GOOD TO STAUNTON, V-A

AS GOOD AS I’VE EVER SEEN

ON A MAGICAL SCALE OF ONE TO TEN

THIS YEAR WAS AN EASY FIFTEEN

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW

THE STATLERS, FOR 25 YEARS

HAD A SHOW IN THE PARK WHERE FOLKS WOULD COME

AND GIVE THE FLAG A FEW GOOD CHEERS

THIS YEAR SOMETHING NEW AND WONDERFUL TOOK PLACE

AND RATTLED SOME OLD MEMORIES OF MINE

WILSON/FAIRCHILD TOOK THE STAGE

AND TOOK ME BACK IN TIME

THERE THEY STOOD, GLORIOUSLY YOUNG

SHINING IN THEIR OWN SPOTLIGHT

TAKING CHARGE AND GIVING LOVE

AS THEIR MUSIC BURST OUT THROUGH THE NIGHT

THE TABLES WERE TURNED AND I’M PROUD TO SAY

THEY HANDLED IT ALL WITH SUCH CLASS

THIS TIME THEY WERE CENTER STAGE

AND I HAD A BACKSTAGE PASS

AS I STOOD AND APPLAUDED THEM, SONG AFTER SONG,

YES, I HAD A FEW SHIVERS AND TEARS

BUT WATCHING THEM DO WHAT THEY DO BEST

JUST MELTED AWAY THE YEARS.

WE LAUGHED AT THE JOKES AND CLAPPED FOR THE TUNES

AND FLOATED ALL NIGHT ON CLOUD NINE

AND IT NEVER GOT BETTER THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES

WHEN HAROLD TURNED AND HIS EYE CAUGHT MINE

SO MUCH CAN BE SAID WITH JUST A LOOK

BETWEEN TWO WHO HAVE SHARED SO MUCH

AND WHAT WE SHARED THIS FOURTH OF JULY

NO ONE COULD EVER TOUCH

SO HERE’S TO LANGDON, WIL AND THE BOYS

WAVE THAT BANNER HIGH

I’VE NEVER BEEN PROUDER, AND NEVER HAVE I

HAD A BETTER 4^TH OF JULY

YOU WRITE, YOU TALK, YOU SING, YOU PICK

AND I PERSONALLY CAN VERIFY

THE ONE THING YOU TWO BOYS DO BEST

IS MAKE AN OLD MAN CRY

Wil, Harold, Don & Langdon on stage at the 4th of July celebration in Staunton,VA

DSR / July 14, 2017