American country music legend Glen Campbell faces a debilitating medical condition, but he will still perform this week in Florida, a state hit hard by the very illness that is robbing him of the life he once knew.
Campbell announced to the public last year that he was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition which adversely affects the mind causing nerve cells in the brain to die, creating problems with memory, judgment and general cognition.
Because Florida has such a high elderly population, the state has been referred to as “ground zero” for Alzheimer’s in America. The disease has no cure and currently affects more then five million Americans, with cases expected to double in the future due to the high number of aging baby boomers. While little is understood about this disease, scientists are predicting more cases will arise due to advances in medicine allowing us to live longer live as time goes on.
Many families have to learn to live and support each other throughout this disease, and Campbell now serves as a face for this cause. This “Goodbye Tour” gives fans young and old a chance to see the singer perform his hits and share his charm one last time. Its a sad fact that due to several related complications, sufferers of Alzheimer’s face worsening levels of dementia and other health problems that lead to eventual death.
Campbell is showing the signs of Alzheimer’s, but is miraculously still able to perform thanks to the support of his family and others. This gives a unique and touching “living tribute” to a performer, and some level of closure for his devoted fans and others looking to deal with similar conditions in their own lives.
Many older fans of Campbell have fond memories of not only his music, but also his time spent hosting his own comedy variety television show, “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.” He also stepped into lead acting roles in movies like the original “True Grit” with legendary actor John Wayne.
His long and productive career was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award at the 2012 Grammy celebration. His latest album, “Ghost On The Canvas,” has received the acclaim of critics and is on several lists as one of the best albums of 2011. Campbell is expected to perform not only songs from his new album, but all of the crowd pleasing hits one last time for his enduring fans.
Campbell is performing at the King Center for the Performing Arts this Friday the 23rd. This is one of the last chances to see Campbell live in Florida before his nationwide tour finishes in just a few months. For more information on this special performance check out the King Center’s website at http://www.kingcenter.com/
There are also several informative websites about Alzheimer’s research and information for victims and families of victims dealing with this challenging disease. The American Health Assistance Foundation details their research at http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers/.
