Amanda Edwards/Getty ImagesGlen Campbell, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011, can no longer play the guitar, his wife Kim Campbell revealed.
The “Rhinestone Cowboy” was moved to a full-time care facility in March 2014, but his wife of 34 years said in a recent interview with The Tennessean that she still visits him at the Nashville facility daily with some exceptions.
Kim Campbell added that her husband still plays “air guitar,” but because he’s in the late stages of the disease he cannot play the actual instrument. Campbell, 80, also attempts to sing at times.
“Doctors say that because Glen continued to do music it probably helped him plateau in the early and middle stages,” Kim Campbell said.
Still, the “Galveston” singer has lost his speech and can’t comprehend language. His wife did reveal that he can still utter “automated” responses such as “I love you” and “How are you doing?”
“But he still has his essence,” Kim Campbell added.
Kim Campbell said she’s speaking out in hopes of encouraging others who may be living with a family member with Alzheimer’s.
“I want to let people know that there’s hope out there. There’s help out there. They don’t have to do this alone,” Campbell told the newspaper. “They can’t do it alone. It will take you down.”
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