Roberta Parkin/Redferns
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Entertainment
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Entertainment
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Health
Alzheimer's & Dementia
"Rhinestone Cowboy" singer and country music legend Glen Campbell, 75, has revealed to People that he has Alzheimer's.
The Grammy winner and his wife, Kim, decided to go public with the diagnosis in order to alert fans to his condition. Campbell is planning a farewell tour this coming autumn and wants concert goers to be prepared. "Glen is still an awesome guitar player and singer," says Kim. "But if he flubs a lyric or gets confused on stage, I wouldn’t want people to think, 'What's the matter with him? Is he drunk?'"
Campbell has been suffering from short-term memory loss for a number of years, but only received the Alzheimer's diagnosis six months ago. The diagnosis has not altered his plans for the upcoming tour; if anything, Campbell and his wife see it as a precious opportunity to allow the fans, some of whom are Campbell's age or older, to show up and support the artist they have loved for decades. The consciousness of his condition will surely add to the emotional depth of the tour.
Not only will the tour be an opportunity for the fans to thank Campbell, but it will be a great way for him to return the favor, while he still can. As he says, "I'd like to thank them for sticking with me through thick and thin... I still love making music. And I still love performing for my fans."
