Kim Campbell - Gentle on My Mind: In Sickness and in Health with Glen Campbell

PRAISE FOR GENTLE ON MY MIND

I had the privilege of getting to know Glen, Kim, and their family while making the documentary, Glen Campbell: Ill Be Me. Like that film, Gentle on My Mind is written with grace, humor, and courageous candor. Its a beautiful love story, both heartbreaking and inspiring.

JANE SEYMOUR

In this candid and intimate memoir, my friend Kim Campbell reveals the ups and downs of her great love affair with Glen Campbell, a once-in-a-hundred-years talent. She writes in a wide-open, truthful, and sincere rhythm with great humor and pathos.

JIMMY WEBB

It seems that everybody writes a book at some pointand most should not be written. But when youre writing about an American legend, one of the most beloved musical icons in the history of our business, you have an obligation. Kim Campbells Gentle on My Mind is a necessity. Sheryl and I (along with our kids, who grew up with Glen and Kims) will always be attached to the Campbell Clan. That you could go to a backyard hillbilly Seder with Glen and me singing A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock N Roll as a finale, says something about our relationship. We were an unlikely pair. I will always miss golfing and laughing with Glen. This memoir will touch your heart and will give you an insight into Glens career, his and Kims family, and most of all their faith in Christ.

ALICE COOPER

Kim Campbell has given all of us who love Glens musical legacy a real treasure. With what she has written here we get to know so much more of the man himself as well as the strength of their bond. And we get to know the woman who stood by him through the most profound and heartbreaking challenge of his life. Her willingness to let us into their life togetherto share the moments of joy as well as despairis an act of both love and courage. And it is alive with the spirit that anchors and sustains us all. It is a deeply human book.

KEITH CARRADINE

When I first met Kim, she had come to ask if we would make a film about Glen and his journey with Alzheimers. What I discovered about this remarkable woman is her incredible patience and love for one of the great musicians of our time. I was fortunate to meet Glen at the beginning of his Alzheimers journey. Together we shared his decline from this devastating disease. The film Glen Campbell: Ill Be Me shows what an incredible family Glen was blessed to have. I got to know the fantastic and brave Kim Campbell and her willingness to put Glen and her kids above all else. This book reflects her journey with Glen in a powerful and intimate way and gives great insight into what for better or for worse means. Read it; you wont be disappointed.

JAMES KEACH, FILMMAKER

Kim writes with such candor, bravery, and deep description that you feel like youre in Glen Campbells world with her. For his fans, the behind the scenes of that life is a fascinating gift. But rarely is anything more fascinating than a love story that has that conflicting dynamic of finding a soul mate and watching the one you love gradually disappearin this case, becoming someone you dont always recognize, but still want to fiercely protect. This is Kims story. A woman who chose faith, even when it seemed to break her heart. Absolutely enthralling.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN/HLN ANCHOR AND AUTHOR OF LOVE ISNT SUPPOSED TO HURT

Kim Campbell has told a stunning story of love and sacrifice and how to live a life gracefully even in the face of unimaginable adversity.

TREVOR ALBERT, FILMMAKER GROUNDHOG DAY AND GLEN CAMPBELL: ILL BE ME

2020 Kim Campbell

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Nelson Books and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked CEB are from the Common English Bible. Copyright 2011 Common English Bible.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement by Thomas Nelson, nor does Thomas Nelson vouch for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book.

ISBN 978-1-4002-1784-7 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-1783-0 (HC)

Epub Edition April 2020 9781400217847

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020934936

Printed in the United States of America

20 21 22 23 24 LSC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
My Life with Glen

G len and I loved dancing together. I loved how he held me in his arms. I loved how we moved as one.

Youre the dancer in the family, he told me. Ive spent my whole life on the bandstand, singing and playing my guitar, watching other folks dance. I never had the chance to dance.

Youre a good dancer, I assured him. If you forget what comes next, just follow me. And he did. Glen danced through life with me for thirty-five years. Sometimes he led. Sometimes I led. It didnt matter. When God brought us together, we became one flesh (Mark 10:78 NIV).

Glen knew that dancing was not only my passion but my therapy. At the most challenging moments of my life, I turned to dance to express myself and work through my pain. I asked God to transform my grief into motion and cover me with joy. Each time, my prayer was answered. The poetry of Psalm 30 sprang to life: You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing (v. 11 NLT).

As a young woman, I began my professional life as a dancer, not realizing that there is something healingeven sacredabout bodily movement attuned to music and tempered with grace.

To be filled with grace is evidence of Gods holy presence. At times of great suffering, its easy to lose awareness of that presence. Dancing always brought that awareness back.

For me, the dance metaphor goes deep. For this story, the dance metaphor is necessary. I say that because, although life with Glen entailed monumental struggles, those struggles were ultimately mitigated by movement. I came to learn that love, like dance, is all about movement. Love is never stagnant or motionless. It bends, bows, and stretches. It expands and grows. Its essence is flexibility. Its beauty is divine. As a source of inspiration, dance strengthens me.