Glen Campbell

My friend excitedly messaged me this week... 'Neil Diamond!' Erm yeah, great artist.'Holy Holy!' Ahhhh yes.  'Glen Campbell!'  Yeeess!

My friend and I, as close as we are, and despite being born only 9 months apart, we had totally different childhoods.  I won't go into the personal differences but culturally or at least musically, we are worlds apart.  My Mum didn't have a car but my eldest sister and her husband did and that was the car we travelled in for holiday's.  Must ask sister but from what I can recall, it was mostly Glen Campbell and Neil Diamond on the car radio to accompany our travels.

I'm trying to fill in the gaps of my friend's musical abyss, to make sure that he gets to enjoy the full spectrum that I got to enjoy as a kid.  We had a conversation yesterday about when we were young and if you liked so-and-so, then you couldn't like the other.  Me?  Well, I was never cool.  I grew up with Diamond, Campbell and Parton.  Abba sucked me in all on their own, Elton John, Take That, (for those of you who don't know then don't judge, you know how people say that Elton John wrote the songs to accompany their life?  Well, I think that Gary Barlow has written the songs of my life so far, I have no doubt he will continue to do so.) 

Back to Mr Campbell and the day after I get the message, Sky Arts has a documentary on him called 'I'll Be Me'.  So I had to record it and to relive.  I wasn't expecting what I saw, I hadn't heard that Mr C had Alzheimer's and what a brave story it was to tell.

I've had my brushes with dementia and all that I knew in the face of it, was to pour out love, but as far as know, I'm yet to meet Alzheimer's.  Losing someone in the traditional sense, is hard enough, losing them when they are still physically with you, well, it's hard to imagine.

I applaud the family for giving the release to the documentary, I don't think I would have been so brave. I felt that the documentary was geared towards the Alzheimer's, I'm sure to bring awareness, but my heart was geared towards Mr C, that face, that voice, those songs.  Many, many, happy memories.