The Senior Resource Association hit the right note during an emotional Nourishing Our Souls Luncheon at the Quail Valley River Club. The event featured Ashley Campbell, daughter of the late “Rhinestone Cowboy” Glen Campbell, who succumbed to Alzheimer’s in 2017.
“This event is quite special for Senior Resource Association as it speaks directly to the challenges many families face: that of the loved ones who need increasing care on the challenging journey with dementia,” said Karen Deigl, SRA CEO.
Introducing Campbell, Trudie Rainone, presenting sponsor and board member, said she had been very moved after hearing a talk about the Campbell family’s journey with Alzheimer’s, adding, “My family has been touched by this disease, as many of yours may have been.”
As guests dined, Campbell spoke about her father’s last few years, sharing video clips from his Goodbye Tour, snippets of them playing music together and stories of their struggles and triumphs as they dealt with this devastating, neurodegenerative disease. Interspersed with her talk, Ashley Campbell showed off her own musical talents, and even had guests sing along to “King of the Road.”
She explained that the family initially noticed that her father had some mild cognitive impairment shortly after she graduated from college and began playing in his band. A year later, as his symptoms worsened, audiences began to notice and, she recalled, “they were wondering if he was drinking again or doing drugs.”
He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011 and the family announced the news in 2012, prior to his heading out on his Goodbye Tour. While many people speculated that “the Rhinestone Cowboy was heading into the sunset,” Ashley Campbell said they knew music had to remain a part of his life.
When asked what he wanted to do, she said Campbell himself replied, “I’m not done yet.”
Ashley Campbell said the first show was sold out and they were pleasantly surprised that when he stepped onstage, the audience gave him a standing ovation.
“We didn’t know if anyone was going to show up. We didn’t know what people were expecting to see. It was like that for the entire tour. What we thought was going to be about a two-week tour to promote the album [‘Ghost on a Canvas’] ended up being two years and 151 shows.”
She believes that playing music prolonged his life.
“He was continuing to live his life with purpose and with joy. The community he got from the audiences, and the love they showed back to him, was a deeply touching thing to be a part of,” Ashley Campbell explained.
“He would be having a bad day. Maybe not know where we were, be angry or not be able to form complete sentences, but then he’d walk onstage, and a light switch would go off, and he would play a perfect show.”
Campbell spoke about the Senior Resource Association’s Day Away Enrichment and Respite programs, which offer individuals dealing with dementia and other health-related issues a place for safe, social interactions, giving their caregivers respite time for their daily responsibilities.
She said they had discovered through similar programs how crucial they are for the family’s overall well-being.
For her closing song, Campbell performed the piece she wrote for her father, “Remembering,” in which she promises, “Daddy don’t you worry. I’ll do the remembering.”
Visibly moved, a few guests shared some of their own personal experiences during a Q&A.
As a 17-year SRA board member, Dawn Michael reiterated how essential the organization and its programs are for the welfare of the community and encouraged their support.
“We’ve never turned away anyone who was in need of our care simply because they could not afford it. Private funding is incredibly important,” said Michael.
The nonprofit provides numerous services for seniors, including social connections, enrichment, support, community engagement, advocacy, Meals on Wheels, emergency alert services, transportation, medical equipment, and empowerment through independence.
On Feb. 13, the SRA is teeing up its seventh annual Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Riomar Country Club.
For more information, visit seniorresourceassociation.org.
Photos provided
