美国国家公共电台 NPR Glen Campbell, Country Music Legend, Is Dead At 81

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Over the course of a career that spanned half a century, Glen Campbell sold more than 40 million records and scored more than 20 top 10 hits on the country and pop charts. He also acted in movies and hosted his own TV show. Glen Campbell died today after a well-publicized struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 81. Blake Farmer of member station WPLN in Nashville has this remembrance of a session musician who became a star.

BLAKE FARMER, BYLINE¹: Glen Campbell's biggest hit topped both the pop and country charts in 1975.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RHINESTONE² COWBOY")

GLEN CAMPBELL: (Singing) I've been walking these streets so long, singing the same old song.

FARMER: Campbell once said he didn't consider himself a country singer, but rather a country boy who sings. And historian John Rumble³ from the Country Music Hall of Fame says Campbell had something few do.

JOHN RUMBLE: When he was on stage and started to sing, you knew there was a star on stage. I don't know how to explain it because it's an aura. It's a feeling. You knew this was somebody special.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RHINESTONE COWBOY")

G. CAMPBELL: (Singing) Like a rhinestone cowboy riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo.

FARMER: Long before he was a household name, Campbell was a studio musician in Los Angeles, part of the famous Wrecking⁴ Crew. He was a self-taught guitarist whose training consisted mostly of informal lessons in the lap of his Uncle Boo back in Arkansas. Campbell couldn't read music, but Rumble says he could play anything.

RUMBLE: Glen just fit right in. He was so doggone good.

FARMER: We don't know for sure how many recordings⁵ Campbell made because in the '50s and '60s producers cloaked who actually played on a session. But he provided guitar parts for records by Jan and Dean, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE BEACH BOYS SONG, "BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL")

FARMER: Campbell even became a Beach Boy for about six months, replacing front man Brian Wilson on tour. Years later, Campbell joked about it in his own concerts.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

G. CAMPBELL: (Singing) It’s the little old lady from Pasadena. It’s the little old lady from Pasadena.

That's about the way it sounded. And it was fun, but I didn't want to spend the rest of my musical career playing bass⁶ and singing the high part.

FARMER: That career got off to a slow start - a few minor⁷ hits. But then he found a groove⁸.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GENTLE ON MY MIND")

G. CAMPBELL: (Singing) It's knowing that your door is always open and your path is free to walk.

FARMER: A long-term collaboration⁹ began with songwriter Jimmy Webb, who says he grew up daydreaming¹⁰ about working with Glen Campbell. The two would become musical partners. And Webb says Campbell doesn't get enough credit for his contributions beyond performing.

JIMMY WEBB: Nobody compared with him when it came to picking a song and then arranging it. He left his stamp on whatever material he did.

FARMER: Together, Webb and Campbell produced such top 40 hits as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix¹¹" and "Wichita Lineman."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WICHITA LINEMAN")

G. CAMPBELL: (Singing) And I need you more than want you. And I want you for all time. And the Wichita lineman is still on the line.

FARMER: Campbell's chart success led to opportunities in film and TV, including a stint¹² on network television. He hosted "Glen Campbell's Good Time Hour." Guests ranged from actor John Wayne to The Monkees to his own family. The 12 siblings¹³ became source material for Campbell's well-known wit.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

G. CAMPBELL: Dad said they come cheaper by the dozen. I guess Mom was hard of hearing. You know, down on the farm there's not too much activity. And he said, you want to go to bed or what? And she says, what?

(LAUGHTER)

FARMER: At the height of his fame, Campbell hit personal lows, divorces and a drug and alcohol problem. His struggle with cocaine¹⁴ surprised those who knew him best considering his Christian¹⁵ upbringing and outspoken¹⁶ faith. He got his life back in order and continued performing. Then in 2011, he announced he'd been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And instead of receding¹⁷ into the shadows, he planned a tour. For more than a year, he played shows around the country backed by a band that included some of his children.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ASHLEY CAMPBELL: Introduce me, Dad.

G. CAMPBELL: Huh?

A. CAMPBELL: Introduce me.

G. CAMPBELL: I have. I got it right here.

(LAUGHTER)

G. CAMPBELL: (Singing) I had to write it down or you would've got it first.

FARMER: A teleprompter helped Campbell stay on track, though not always perfectly¹⁸. Aside from the lyrics¹⁹ to his songs, the screen provided notes that he would occasionally read aloud, like, play long solo here.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

G. CAMPBELL: I’ll play one then.

FARMER: Campbell couldn't remember his kids' names and faces, but he could still feel out a fretboard and wow a crowd. Filmmaker James Keach directed a documentary, "I'll Be Me," that chronicled the farewell tour.

JAMES KEACH: It was completely embedded²⁰ in this guy's psyche²¹. And he'd done it since he was, you know, 5 years old. It's his default, is that his hands will start doing that. You know, that he - that's his language. That's his first language, is music.

FARMER: Keach says Glen Campbell never warmed up and never sang out of key. It was an unexpected blessing²² to Campbell's fans that his musical talent was one of the last things to go. For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Nashville.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'M NOT GONNA MISS YOU")

G. CAMPBELL: (Singing) I'm never going to hold you like I did. I've said...

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 rhinestone   

n.水晶石，莱茵石

参考例句：

• She often wears that cheap showy rhinestone bracelet.她经常戴那个廉价艳丽的水晶手镯。
• Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing,当她发现一个缺了几颗人造钻石的手镯时，有些孩子鄙笑起来。

3 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

4 wrecking   

破坏

参考例句：

• He teed off on his son for wrecking the car. 他严厉训斥他儿子毁坏了汽车。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Instead of wrecking the valley, the waters are put to use making electricity. 现在河水不但不在流域内肆疟，反而被人们用来生产电力。 来自辞典例句

5 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

6 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

7 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

8 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

9 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

10 daydreaming   

v.想入非非，空想( daydream的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stop daydreaming and be realistic. 别空想了，还是从实际出发吧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Bill was sitting and daydreaming so his mother told him to come down to earth and to do his homework. 比尔坐着空想， 他母亲要他面对现实，去做课外作业。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

12 stint   

v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事

参考例句：

• He lavished money on his children without stint.他在孩子们身上花钱毫不吝惜。
• We hope that you will not stint your criticism.我们希望您不吝指教。

13 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

14 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

15 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

16 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

17 receding   

v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
• Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

18 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

19 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

20 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

21 psyche   

n.精神；灵魂

参考例句：

• His exploration of the myth brings insight into the American psyche.他对这个神话的探讨揭示了美国人的心理。
• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche.她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。

22 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。