RHINESTONE COWBOY: Biography of Folk Icon Glen Campbell in Pre-Production

Glen Campbell Biopic in pre-production

Folk icon Glen Campbell is the focus of Justin Chadwick’s aptly titled biopic, Rhinestone Cowboy.

Though just in its very early stages, right out of the gate, Rhinestone Cowboy has really good resource material to draw from.

Apart from many examples of the country artist’s long, distinguished musical canon, this would be the poignant, frank, and acclaimed documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, directed by longtime friend, James Keach. The overall tenor of this film may be somber, but its spirit continually crests to new heights of artistry and humor, and depths of feeling. During what became his extended ‘Goodbye Tour’ in 2011, when his Alzheimer’s disease hit an insurmountable crescendo, his riff tangents nevertheless looked pretty good when Glen Campbell had them.

With respect to the narrative film Rhinestone Cowboy, however, presumably more attention will rightly be paid to Campbell’s roots, relationships, and career milestones. And how deeply into Campbell’s personal life the team intends to take this narrative entry, however, is tantalizing. Director Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), co-writing with Adam Targum and Paul Viragh, are fortunate to have a rock solid resource in producer James Keach, who spearheaded the excellent documentary noted above.

But Campbell had his share of tribulation before his final one. He had already traveled a dark road that had roughed up many a successful career before his — struggling with drugs and alcohol — it was no short stint either, spanning at least a decade. This shadowed Glen until his fourth and final partner, stage beauty Kim Woollen, helped turn the tide against addiction.

If Campbell’s life had any bright spot that rivaled his career, family must be considered a close second. He married four times and sired nine children, six boys and three girls, the youngest of whom, Ashley, is a country star in her own right, and toured with her father on his 2011 tour. Of note also is the intimate collaboration with country legend Tanya Tucker in 1980, the country hit ‘Dream Lover’ one of their triumphs.

To the casual fan listening to his crossover pop hits, Campbell’s smooth, mellow voice had a tendency to put the bright light of his plainspoken, everyman heartbreak messages and clever metaphors under a bushel. His singing style seemed effortless, in large part because he was, in the truest sense, a natural, talent bred in the bone and evidently hard-wired from birth. He never learned to read music or had a lesson, but blessed with perfect pitch and a talent so versatile his reputation as studio session performer is legendary to this day.

The first cast member in Chadwick’s project is award winning country artist Tim McGraw, no slouch himself in the filmmaking industry, but also a logical choice for portraying Campbell; at the 2015 Academy Award ceremony, he performed “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” nominated for Best Song from I’ll Be Me. If Rhinestone Cowboy conveys the same tenor of genuine admiration and deep affection as the documentary, we’re looking forward to a big hit.

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