Glen Campbell’s Widow Recalls His Struggles With Addiction and the Night He Pointed a Gun at Her
Glen Campbell’s widow Kim details the late singer/songwriter’s struggles with addiction in her upcoming memoir, Gentle On My Mind: In…
Kim Campbell, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell’s widow Kim details the late singer/songwriter’s struggles with addiction in her upcoming memoir, Gentle On My Mind: In Sickness and in Health with Glen Campbell.
Kim offered People an exclusive look at what’s to come in the book in this week’s issue, revealing an excerpt about his drug and alcohol addiction.
“When he wasn’t drinking, he was the best guy in the world,” Kim tells the publication. “But I feared every time he took a drink. I used to tremble, physically shake all over because it had gotten so bad.”
In the forthcoming memoir, she goes into great detail about their 34-year marriage and recalls one troubling moment that took place in 1983 after the birth of their first son, Cal. Explaining that Glen had agreed not to drink while at home with the family, she revealed that he turned to hidden alcohol in their home to get his fix. She had forgotten about the stashed away bottles, but the “Rhinestone Cowboy” had not.
“He got hold of the bottles I’d put in the linen closet and drank himself into another crazed rage. This one was bad,” she explains. “This one had him pointing a pistol at me. He leveled the gun at me as if he were lining up a target. I froze. Then, without a word, he turned and walked the other way.”
Admitting she was “scared to death,” Kim immediately questioned her decision to have a family with the legendary entertainer.
“I felt so stupid for having had a baby with an alcoholic. Now our very lives were at risk.”
Kim shared that she first learned of Glen’s drinking problem on the night of their first date. Although she says it was “pretty much love at first sight” for both of them, their blind date went downhill quickly.
“The evening, begun on a light cloud of charm, was suddenly darkening,” Kim shares in the book. “I fought the darkness. I didn’t want to see what I was seeing. This man turned me on. I wanted the turn-on to last. I allowed a few more kisses, and yes, I was aroused. But no, I couldn’t deny that he was sloppy drunk.”
Glen, who was 22 years older than her and divorced three times when they met, later apologized.
She forgave him and they went on to get married. His drinking problem persisted, however.
“After every show, he hit the bottle and hit it hard,” she shares. “He went from sweet and humble Glen to belligerent and self-centered Glen.”
It was a continual cycle, she says. He would drink then wake up and forget about everything that happened the night before.
“He’d wake me up with a good morning kiss and return to being the loving man with whom I had fallen in love.”
After the couple welcomed two more children, son Shannon and daughter, Ashley, Glen got sober and stayed sober for 15 years. In 2003, the singer relapsed. He was arrested in November of 2003 on suspicion of DUI and aggravated assault on a police officer following a hit-and-run.
“I was so mad,” Kim recalls. “I was back to trembling again. I was shaking like a leaf with my cellphone just saying, ‘Nobody better go get him. Nobody go get him. He needs to sit in that jail. He needs to wake up and sober up in there and face what he’s done.’ I was so mad.”
After spending 10 days in jail, Glen apologized and entered a rehabilitation facility.
When his health began to take a turn, Kim was committed to standing by him. In 2011, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
“It absolutely shocked me and scared me to death,” Kim shares. “But I tried not to show it because I didn’t want to upset Glen.”
Campbell succumbed to the illness on Aug. 8, 2017.
Kim hopes her memoir will help others know they are not alone.
“Whatever battle you’re facing, whether it’s a disease like alcoholism or drug addiction or Alzheimer’s, you can’t do it alone,” she explains. “For us, faith was everything. Faith and a sense of humor.”
Gentle On My Mind: In Sickness and in Health with Glen Campbell will be available on June 23, 2020.
Glen Campbell’s life and career are memorialized in the new Glen Campbell Museum in Nashville. Click HERE for an inside look.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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