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Glen Campbell<\/a> became one of the first crossover superstars in country music in the ’70s, but before that, did you know the versatile singer and instrumentalist served a stint with the\u00a0Beach Boys<\/a>?<\/p>\n Born in Arkansas in 1936, Campbell moved to Los Angeles in 1960 to become a session guitarist.<\/p>\n He rapidly established himself as one of an elite group of A-list L.A. session musicians called the Wrecking Crew, playing on recordings by artists as diverse as the Monkees<\/a>, Jan and Dean, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Merle Haggard<\/a>, Simon and Garfunkel<\/a> and many more.<\/p>\n Campbell played guitar on the Beach Boys’ landmark Pet Sounds<\/em> album, and following Brian Wilson<\/a>‘s breakdown and subsequent inability to tour, he joined the band on the road from December of 1964 until March of 1965, replacing Wilson in the live shows.<\/p>\n Campbell played bass and sang falsetto harmonies in the shows, debuting with the Beach Boys on Dec. 24, 1964.<\/p>\n According to Allmusic.com<\/a>, he was offered a permanent spot in the band but turned the group down over a disagreement about royalties.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/em> These Country Singers Had a LOT of Kids!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Instead, Campbell signed a solo deal with Capitol, and by 1967 he began a string of hits that would see him earn success in both the country and pop charts, including “Gentle on My Mind,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston” and his signature song, “Rhinestone Cowboy.”<\/p>\n Campbell hosted a TV variety show for several years in the early ’70s, acted alongside John Wayne in True Grit<\/em> and earned an armload of awards, including Grammys, CMA and ACM awards. In 2005 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n Wilson had another connection to country music. He wrote and recorded a country album<\/a> titled Cows in the Pasture<\/em> in the early ’70s, which remained shelved for five decades.<\/p>\n The album was finally slated for release in 2025, but Wilson did not live to see its release<\/a>. He died<\/a> in June of 2025 at the age of 82.<\/p>\n The six-string wizards in our Best Guitarists in Country Music list all have their different ways of using the instrument to touch the hearts and souls of country music fans everywhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow Did Glen Campbell Launch His Career?<\/h3>\n
Did Glen Campbell Tour With the Beach Boys?<\/h3>\n
Why Didn’t Glen Campbell Join the Beach Boys?<\/h3>\n
20 Best Guitarists in Country Music<\/h2>\n