Rhinestone Cowboy: An Autobiography [Hardcover]

Glen Campbell (Author), Tom Carter (Collaborator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1994

The popular singer describes his rise to the top of the country music world and the hedonistic lifestyle that nearly cost him his life and career before a religious conversion transformed his life. 100,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Campbell's autobiography shows the pop and country/western singer, guitarist and composer making it to the top, sinking and rising again as he overcame troubles with alcohol, drugs and three marriages--and found religion. Writing with Carter, who also collaborated with Ronnie Milsap and Ralph Emery on their books, Campbell recalls the grinding poverty he underwent as one of 12 children of an Arkansas sharecropper, the career he established playing backup for Frank Sinatra and Diana Ross, and his joining the Beach Boys at the height of their popularity, all before he made it on his own. As interesting as Campbell's story is, his book is disappointing, for his fundamentalism turns him to sermonizing against abortion, the banning of school prayer and the liberal press. Photos not seen by PW. Dou ble day Book Club selection; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

There's some good stuff here about Campbell's poverty-stricken Arkansas childhood; his recording sessions with Elvis, the Kingston Trio, Frank Sinatra, Ricky Nelson, and dozens of other acts; his days as a Beach Boy; his admiration for John Wayne, whom he met during the filming of True Grit; his affair with Tanya Tucker; and, not least, his friendship with Pat Paulsen, whose hilarious monologue on gun control is reprinted here. Campbell's career reached its zenith in the early 1970s, when he had his own TV show born of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The parent show, of course, went down for political reasons, which Campbell--and coauthor Carter, a straightforward stylist--talk about with some clarity. Campbell's own downward spiral late in the 1970s followed an unfortunately predictable pattern: alcohol and cocaine abuse. Those dark hours, however, give us the one affecting moment in Campbell's book, during which, with unknowing and ironic desperation, he snorts cocaine and reads his Bible with a kind of furious resolve to do better. Nowadays, Campbell is a sober Christian who tours, plays golf, and takes care of his family. His tone is tedious at times, particularly when he carps about the press, and the reader may long to know more about Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Bobbie Gentry, Roger Miller, and Merle Haggard than Campbell wishes to tell. A lot of good country people were moved by Campbell's recordings of Jimmy Webb songs such as "Wichita Lineman," however, and his book is a sure hit. John Mort

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 253 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1st edition (March 22, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679419993
• ISBN-13: 978-0679419990
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Load of Compromising on the Road to his Horizon, May 25, 2001

By 

Steven Fantina (Phillipsburg, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rhinestone Cowboy: An Autobiography (Paperback)

Glen Campbell has lived a very interesting life-some good and some bad. His autobiography does not hold back on either portion. From his impoverished Arkansas childhood through his many tumultuous marriages and country music superstardom to his regret-free faded status and ultimate peace, Glen lays it all on the (Wichita) line.

While he does not gloss over his own flaws, the dirty linen of some other players-most notably Tanya Tucker is likewise held up for all to see. Arguably, he should have been less open in revealing maligning details about her, but their relationship kept tabloid readers engrossed for years and it legitimately was a salient chapter in his life. Furthermore, he does not condemn Tanya despite attributing less than wholesome motivations to her interest in him. He seems very sincere when he writes of his one-time paramour "I'm inclined to pray for the woman with whom I shared a poisoned relationship. I have since found another love that offers not the threat of death but the promise of eternal life. I pray that Tanya might find that too."

As Glen experienced his twilight maturation, he achieved the rank of solid citizen. Becoming a Branson regular appropriately accentuates his embrace of Christianity and advocacy of traditional values. By spelling out his staunch opposition to abortion and opposing special rights for homosexuals, he takes some daring positions for a celebrity tell-all, but it is refreshing to see a performer courageously step out of rigid show biz boundaries.

One unintended drawback concerns some details of his childhood. Glen is to be commended for the tremendous respect he displays toward his parents and also for admitting his failures as a father to his older children-even accepting significant blame for his middle-aged son's drug problems. However, he relates some paternal behavior that shows his father possessed a cruel streak. From his laudatory portrayal it is easy to see that was not the image he wanted to present, and he would probably disagree with such an assessment. A more prudent tactic would have been to remain mum on some of these mean actions.

Overall, "Rhinestone Cowboy" is a well-orchestrated rendition of a child born into poor Southern Nights but who eventually went "riding out on a horse in a star-spangles rodeo."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rhinestone Cowboy is a page turner, August 10, 2010

By 

edyedy - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Rhinestone Cowboy: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

I began reading this book thinking I knew all I wanted to know about Mr. Campbell. I closed the book feeling inspired. It took you through a range of ups and downs with the tumultuous life of this talented entertainer, but it also entertained with funny antidotes and happenings. I read it in my spare time over a 4 day period and sometimes found it hard to put it down. I highly recommend this autobiography.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Life of The Rhinestone Cowboy, September 4, 2011

By 

Ernie R. McHone (Franklin, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rhinestone Cowboy: An Autobiography (Paperback)

The title of this autobiography takes it's title from Glen's 1975 number one hit, Rhinestone Cowboy. Many people consider "Rhinestone Cowboy" to be his comeback song.

Little do people know, Glen Campbell never left, he has persevered, played and sang his way into the hearts of his fans for over fifty years.

His newest album "Ghost on the Canvas", will be the last he ever releases. With his recent diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, Mr. Campbell is valiantly fighting it having embarked on his "Goodbye Tour" just this past week.

I have a great amount of admiration for Glen Campbell, he doesn't sugar coat his mistakes or try to pass the blame to others. He takes the place and grows from it, thereby allowing God to mold him into the man he wants him to be.

"Rhinestone Cowboy" traces Glen's life from his birth in 1936 to the mid 1990's, when he was sober, happy, and blessed by God and his family. Everyone knows the wild ride that has been Glen's life. From his wildly publicized relationship with Tanya Tucker to his battles with alcohol and drugs, Glen looks back with regret, but is quick to point out that he is no longer that person.

Many people have criticized this book for the final chapter. In the final chapter, Glen speaks politically on the issues that faced the nation at the time of the book's writing and still do today. Glen is an unabashed conservative, and as an American, he has the right to believe as he wishes.

I truly loved this book, from start to finish, Glen paints a broad picture of his life. He doesn't pull any punches and writes with total honesty. At the time of this writing, a documentary produced by James Keach on Mr. Campbell is in the works as well as a motion picture based on his life. Thank you Mr. Campbell for all the memories, and your honest approach to life in this wonderful book.