LOS ANGELES (AP) – Glen Campbell’s career didn’t end when he revealed he had Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. He went on to record an album, play more than 150 concerts to promote it, star in a documentary about life with Alzheimer’s and win awards for its leading song.
Now 78 and in the late stages of the disease, Campbell’s wife will attend Sunday’s Academy Awards in his stead. Tim McGraw is set to perform Campbell’s nominated song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” which won a Grammy Award earlier this month.
“He’s such a great singer and Glen always loved him,” Campbell’s wife, Kim Campbell, said of McGraw. “It’s going to be an emotional night to hear it performed.”
Campbell’s nomination is one of two Oscar nods related to Alzheimer’s disease this year. Julianne Moore is favored to win the best actress award for her portrayal of an early-onset Alzheimer’s patient in “Still Alice.”
Campbell’s nominated song plays at the conclusion of the documentary, “Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me.” Married for 32 years, Kim Campbell appears often in the film, which follows the couple as the entertainer performs around the world after announcing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. His wife worried about how fans would respond to the concerts, and how Campbell would react to the spotlight.