INSIDE EDITION spoke exclusively to legendary country singer Glen Campbell's eldest daughter, Debby, who claims her famous father should not be in a nursing home.
When country legend Glen Campbell sang his signature song, "Rhinestone Cowboy," at the 2012 Grammys, everyone knew he was afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. It turned out to be his last TV appearance—until now.
INSIDE EDITION has found Glen Campbell and he's still playing the guitar.
Video of Glen was recorded earlier this month at an Alzheimer’s facility in Nashville. It was taken by his daughter, Debby, who gave it to INSIDE EDITION because she wants the world to know that her dad still has his musical talent, although he can't remember the lyrics to his classic songs.
Glen Campbell is worth an estimated $50 million, a fortune he earned from huge hits like like “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman.”
Now, the singer lives in a single room. Glen’s fourth wife, Kim, says he needs 24-hour care. That decision has now triggered a bitter family feud.
His daughter, Debby, told INSIDE EDITION, “I'm his daughter for crying out loud. I have a right to know where my dad is!”
Debby Campbell is Glen's eldest daughter, one of eight children. In an exclusive interview with INSIDE EDITION, Debby says her stepmother moved Glen into the nursing home without even informing her.
INSIDE EDITION’s Jim Moret asked, “So, you weren't even told that your dad was put into a facility?”
Debby said, “They weren't going to tell me where he was, I mean, I found out where he was through the media.”
Moret asked, “Does he know where he is?”
“Sometimes he'll think, ‘Now honey, are we doing the show tonight?’ Cause he's thinking we're in a hotel on the road,” she said.
When the now 78-year-old country legend was at his prime, playing at concerts across the U.S.A., Debby was usually performing with him on stage. The walls of her home in Phoenix are covered with her father’s gold and platinum records.
Moret asked, “Is it hard for you to imagine how many hits your dad has?”
“No, it's not. He's just a talented man,” she replied.
When Glen embarked on his farewell tour in 2012, Debby says she wasn't invited. She claims her stepmother, Kim, kicked her out of the band so that Kim's daughter could perform in her place.
Debby said, “I couldn't even call my dad. I couldn't even call a hotel because I didn't know where they were staying because I wasn't allowed to see the itinerary anymore.”
Cameras followed Glen on the tour for an upcoming documentary I’ll Be Me, coming out next month. In the documentary, he said, “I ain't done yet, tell ‘em that.”
He needed a teleprompter to remember his lyrics. In one scene of the documentary, he didn’t even recognize the woman in home movies was one of his four wives.
He asked, “Who is that?”
“That's Billie,” he was told.
Glen asked, “Who's she?”
“That's your second wife,” he was told.
Debby Campbell says her fight is similar to the battle waged by the late Casey Kasem's children and their stepmother, Jean.
Moret asked, “Can you relate to that?”
She said, “I can, absolutely.”
Moret asked, “Are you worried at all that you will be kept from seeing your father?”
“No, they tried and I said, ‘We can make it public or private,’” said Debby.
Now, she is going public with a tell-all book, Glen Campbell: Life With My Father, out in stores next week.
She continues to make the thousand mile trip from Phoenix to Nashville every weekend to visit her not-forgotten father as ‘The Rhinestone Cowboy” rides into the sunset.
Moret asked, “What do you want people to know about Glen Campbell?”
Debby said, “My dad does not deserve to be where he is. He just doesn't.”
In a statement, Glen Campbell’s wife, Kim, told INSIDE EDITION, “Glen's doctors advised me that due to his current condition he needs 24 hour access to medical care. He has that care where he is, and though it's difficult for me, this is the best thing for Glen. I spend time with him every day and it is my joy to be actively involved in his daily care. Sadly, our story reflects the heartbreaking reality millions of families are facing. I pray for them and know in my heart we are doing what is best for Glen.”
