Glen Campbell Says Goodbye in Style at Grammys

The Band Perry pays tribute to Glen Campbell during the 54th Grammy Awards.

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Glen Campbell gave a farewell performance at the Grammy Awards Sunday night, supported by the Band Perry and Blake Shelton. The country and pop singer, who had a string of hits in the 1970s, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease last year and is on a "goodbye tour." 

The Band Perry, nominees for Best New Artist, opened the medley with a version of "Gentle on my Mind." Shelton then performed a verse of "Southern Nights" before introducing the man himself. Campbell got the crowd on its feet with his version of "Rhinestone Cowboy," his biggest hit. The performance had a few small snags, with Campbell fumbling a few lyrics, but the crowd gave Campbell its unwavering support, paying their respect. Paul McCartney even pumped his fist as Campbell performed.

Campbell released his final album, Ghost on the Canvas, last year. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy this year.

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Song Stories

“Push It”

Salt-N-Pepa | 1987

Originating as a B side to their cover of the Stax classic “Tramp,” Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandi “Pepa” Denton and Dee Dee “DJ Spinderella” Roper came up with the goods on this career-making, Grammy-nominated platinum single about working it on the dancefloor. “Push It” has been sampled and spliced to death since it debuted in 1987, yet the original track is as fresh and fly as when SNP — among the few original women of hip-hop — debuted it. “Most men will never believe ‘Push It’ was never about sex,” said James. “And that’s why the record went to Number One,” said Denton. “Everybody thought it was about sex.”

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