♪ My first job in the business was at Motown Records.

They signed me as a staff writer, $45 a song.

A young man of 17, 18 years old.

They gave me a shot that I wouldn't have got anywhere else.

I started orchestrating... ♪ And the rain comes down ♪ ♪ In her silver gown ♪ To go from a kid in the panhandle of Oklahoma driving a tractor to then, you know, walk into the old Disney studio down on Sunset Boulevard, and there was a 40 piece orchestra there cutting a track for Didn't We .

(Frank Sinatra) ♪ This time... ♪ I can remember the light.

It wasn't bright.

It was kind of a burnished bronze light bouncing off of these French horns, and the highlights on the violins as they moved in the light and the bows, and it was my song, and every nerve in my body went, I LIKE THAT.

MORE OF THAT.

I'm descended from that Golden Age of songwriters, Rodgers and Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II.

I came to love Lennon and McCartney cuz they were songwriters.

Hal David and Burt Bacharach were idols of mine, I worshipped their music.

♪ See there how she flies ♪ ♪ Golden sail across the sky ♪ I love the idea of a beginning, a middle, and an end.

I think songs should develop, and I think that's the tradition of American songwriting.

My songs, it has been said, are cinematic, and if you took a song like Wichita Lineman , for instance, it depends almost entirely on evoking the scene of the lineman up on the top of the telephone pole.

♪ I am a lineman for the county ♪ ♪ And I drive the main road ♪ Throughout my life I've been very sensitive to that one visual moment that sort of has a story in it.

♪ And I'm doin' fi-i-i-ine ♪ (cheering and applause) ♪ ♪ See her how she flies ♪ ♪ Golden sails across the sky ♪ ♪ Close enough to touch ♪ ♪ Careful if you try ♪ ♪ Though she looks as warm as gold ♪ ♪ The moon's a harsh mistress ♪ ♪ The moon can be so cold ♪ ♪ Once the sun did shine ♪ ♪ Good Lord, it felt so fine ♪ ♪ The moon a phantom rose ♪ ♪ Through the mountains and the pines ♪ ♪ And then the darkness fell ♪ ♪ The moon's a harsh mistress ♪ ♪ It's so hard to love her, to love her ♪ ♪ ♪ I fell out of her eyes ♪ ♪ I fell out of her heart ♪ ♪ I fell down on my face ♪ ♪ I tripped and I missed my star ♪ ♪ I fell and I fell alone ♪ ♪ The moon's a harsh mistress ♪ ♪ And the sky is made of stone ♪ ♪ The moon's a harsh mistress, yes she is ♪ ♪ She's hard to call your own ♪ ♪ (cheering and applause) That song was recorded by Judy Collins.

She sort of found it lying in a ditch beside the road and took it home like you pick up a stray cat with a broken paw, and she gave it a little warm milk, and it became one of my most well-known songs, without any sales to speak of, it was just the little song that could.

♪ ♪ Girl, I've heard you're getting married ♪ ♪ Heard you're getting married ♪ ♪ This time you're really sure ♪ ♪ And this is the end ♪ ♪ They say you really mean it ♪ ♪ This guy's the one that makes you feel ♪ ♪ So safe, so sane and so secure ♪ ♪ And baby, if he loves you more than me ♪ ♪ Maybe it's the best thing ♪ ♪ Maybe it's the best thing for you ♪ ♪ But it's the worst that could happen ♪ ♪ Girl, I'm never gettin' married ♪ ♪ I'm never gettin' married ♪ ♪ You know that's not my scene ♪ ♪ But a girl like you needs to be married ♪ ♪ I've known all along you couldn't live forever ♪ ♪ in between ♪ ♪ And baby, if he loves you more than me ♪ ♪ Maybe it's the best thing ♪ ♪ Maybe it's the best thing for you ♪ ♪ But it's the worst that could happen ♪ ♪ Girl, I don't really blame you ♪ ♪ For having a dream of your own ♪ ♪ Girl you know, I don't really blame you ♪ ♪ A woman like you needs a house and a home ♪ ♪ Baby, sing it with me ♪ ♪ If he really loves you more than me ♪ ♪ Maybe it's the best thing ♪ ♪ Baby, it's the best thing for you ♪ ♪ But it's the worst that could happen to me ♪ ♪ Worst that could happen ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) I found myself as a kid in Hollywood, 8, 18 years old, my mother had passed on, my father had gone back to Oklahoma.

I was working for, at the time, Johnny Rivers.

He put me together with a group of kids who came over from Motown.

And Johnny, he went to the Sanremo Song Festival and left me in charge of this group.

While he was gone, I slipped one of my songs into the pile, you know?

♪ (applause) ♪ ♪ Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?

♪ ♪ Would you like to glide in my beautiful balloon?

♪ ♪ We could float among the stars together, you and I ♪ ♪ For we can fly, ♪ Almost ♪ Up, up and away, ♪ ♪ in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon ♪ ♪ ♪ The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon ♪ ♪ It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon ♪ ♪ If you hold my hand we'll chase your dreams ♪ ♪ across the sky ♪ ♪ For we can fly ♪ ♪ ♪ Up, up and away, ♪ ♪ in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon ♪ ♪ Suspended under the twilight canopy ♪ ♪ We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us ♪ ♪ Dah dah dah dah ♪ ♪ If by some chance you find yourself loving me ♪ ♪ We'll find a cloud to hide us ♪ ♪ We'll keep the moon beside us ♪ ♪ Love is waiting there in my beautiful balloon ♪ ♪ Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon ♪ ♪ If you hold my hand ♪ ♪ we'll chase your dreams across the sky ♪ ♪ For we can fly ♪ ♪ Up, up and away ♪ ♪ in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon ♪ ♪ Up, up and away ♪ ♪ Up, up and away ♪ ♪ ♪ Up, up and away ♪ (cheers and applause) Thank you.

(applause) You know, and I have to tell you something, you know, there we're, in one particular case, and I'm full of stories, and this one, this one's a little bit sad.

It was in my hometown of Oklahoma City.

They took Up, Up, and Away off the radio one day, which was kind of a blow to me because they thought the song was about drugs.

(audience laughter) Ah, but you know something, ladies and gentlemen?

There were 40 songs on the chart that week and the only song on the charts that wasn't about drugs (laughter) was Up, Up and Away .

(laughter) Up, Up, and Away was about balloons.

I went into the role of a commercial songwriter and got involved in the record business, and that became completely distracting and completely compelling at the same time.

Somewhere along the way I lost some of the fun and some of the love that I had for just the pure element of music.

But I was, you know, pounding my head against the wall for a long time.

Finally I thought, what about just the music?

♪ What about just sitting down at the piano and enjoying the way the chords flow, the way they fit together.

And that's what you see today, is just someone who's just enjoying the music.

♪ There will be another song for me ♪ Every night I go out and I talk to the, the fans, and I listen to their stories.

I think that's really, really important.

And I'm re-energized cuz they all tell me that my music meant something to them and it meant something to their life.

And that keeps me going and that powers me up.

Ladies and gentleman, Miss Ashley Campbell.

I'm extremely happy to have Ashley Campbell with me on stage tonight.

She was literally born to the Purple.

She's gonna be a star, a big star.

♪ I'm gonna put on my makeup, put a smile in my eye ♪ She values traditional songwriting techniques, and her songs have a nice shape and a very pleasing contour to them that goes down well with me as a traditionalist.

♪ I'm gonna put my phone down ♪ Her voice, I find it to be a kind of a miniature, higher version of Glen's voice.

But it is unmistakably Glen's voice, it's just coming out of this little blonde angel.

♪ ♪ By the time I get to Phoenix, she'll be rising ♪ Ladies and gentleman, Miss Ashley Campbell.

♪ She'll find the note that I left hanging on her door ♪ ♪ She'll laugh when she reads the part ♪ ♪ that says I'm leaving ♪ ♪ 'Cause I've left that girl oh too many times, ♪ ♪ too many times before ♪ ♪ ♪ By the time he makes Albuquerque, I'll be working ♪ ♪ I'll probably stop at lunch and give him a call ♪ ♪ But she'll just hear that empty phone ♪ ♪ keep on ringing ♪ ♪ Off the wall, that's all ♪ ♪ ♪ By the time I make Oklahoma, she'll be sleeping ♪ ♪ She'll turn softly and she'll call my name out low ♪ ♪ She'll cry just to think I'd really leave her ♪ ♪ Though time and time he tried to tell me so ♪ ♪ She just didn't know ♪ ♪ I would really go ♪ ♪ (cheering and applause) I heard my first Glen Campbell record when I was 14 years old.

I was plowing some wheat in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

I was writing Glen Campbell songs from that day forward.

You want to talk about this song a little bit?

You know who recorded it.

Yes, my dad recorded it.

(applause) Well, the best part is that then he took it down to Nashville, all these guys are doing a record for Johnny because he was sick.

Glen said, "Well, there's four of you guys," it was Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash.

And he said, "And I got this Jimmy Webb song that has four verses."

He says, "Why don't you guys learn that one?"

And he sat down and he played it for them and he taught it to them, and it was a number one Country.

So let's play it.

♪ ♪ I was a highwayman ♪ ♪ Along the coach roads I did ride ♪ ♪ With sword and pistol by my side ♪ ♪ Many a young maid lost their baubles to my trade ♪ ♪ Many a soldier shed his life blood on my blade ♪ ♪ They finally hung me in the spring of '25 ♪ ♪ But I am still alive ♪ ♪ ♪ I was a sailor ♪ ♪ I was born upon the tide ♪ ♪ And with the sea I did abide ♪ ♪ I sailed a brig around the horn to Mexico ♪ ♪ I went aloft to furl the mainsail in a blow ♪ ♪ And when the yards gave way they say that I got killed ♪ ♪ But I am living still ♪ ♪ Perhaps I always will ♪ ♪ I don't know why ♪ ♪ I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide ♪ ♪ Where steel and water did collide ♪ ♪ A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado ♪ ♪ I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below ♪ ♪ They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound ♪ ♪ But I am still around ♪ ♪ I guess I'll always be around, and around, ♪ ♪ and around, and around ♪ ♪ ♪ I'll fly a starship ♪ ♪ Across the Universe divide ♪ ♪ And when I reach the other side ♪ ♪ I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can ♪ ♪ Perhaps I may become a songwriter again ♪ ♪ Or I may simply be a single drop of rain ♪ ♪ But something will remain ♪ ♪ And I'll be back again ♪ ♪ And again, and again, and again ♪ ♪ ♪ Again, and again, and again, and again, ♪ ♪ and again, and again, and again ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ASHLEY: Well, thank you!

(applause) Just another word about Ashley's dad.

He called me up one day and asked me to write a song, a follow up for By the Time I Get to Phoenix, and I said, "When do you want it?"

And he said, "Well, as soon as you can get it over here."

(laughs) So I started writing and about three or four hours later I had a song, and I put a note on top of this cassette, and I said, "Not finished."

You know?

Well, I ran into Glen at a session.

I said, "I guess you guys didn't like that Wichita Lineman , huh?"

And he said, " Wichita Lineman ?"

I said, "Yeah."

He said, "We cut that."

And I said, "But Glen, that song wasn't finished."

And he said, "It is now."

(laughter) ♪ ♪ I am a lineman for the county ♪ ♪ And I drive the main road ♪ ♪ Searchin' in the sun ♪ ♪ For another overload ♪ ♪ I hear you singin' in the wires ♪ ♪ I can hear you through the whine ♪ ♪ And the Wichita lineman ♪ ♪ Is still on the line ♪ ♪ ♪ I know I need a small vacation ♪ ♪ But it don't look like rain ♪ ♪ And if it snows that stretch down south ♪ ♪ Won't ever stand the strain ♪ ♪ And I need you more than want you ♪ ♪ And I want you for all time ♪ ♪ And the Wichita lineman ♪ ♪ Is still on the line ♪ ♪ ♪ And I need you more than want you ♪ ♪ And I want you for all time ♪ ♪ And the Wichita lineman ♪ ♪ Is still on the line ♪ ♪ Still on the line ♪ ♪ And I'm doin' fine ♪ (cheering and applause) My debut album is about to come out, (applause) and I would love to play a couple songs for you with this beautiful string section and this beautiful guitar player.

♪ ♪ I wasted half of the day looking for something to take ♪ ♪ I went through all of your things ♪ ♪ looking for something that I could break ♪ ♪ But I left it all the same when you ♪ ♪ come home and call my name ♪ ♪ You'll have to wonder where I go after the bar is closed ♪ ♪ and who I'm leaving with ♪ ♪ You'll never know if that one last drink ended up as ♪ ♪ just a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ You're gonna lie awake at night until the morning ♪ ♪ light will make you come undone ♪ ♪ Oh baby it's no fun ♪ ♪ How's it feel to be the lonely one?

♪ ♪ ♪ For all the times I believed you were ♪ ♪ something like fate ♪ ♪ For all the times I believed you when you said ♪ ♪ you were working late ♪ ♪ No you're not the kind of guy who likes to hear the ♪ ♪ word goodbye ♪ ♪ So, you'll have to wonder where I go after the bar ♪ ♪ is closed and who I'm leaving with ♪ ♪ You'll never know if that one last drink ended up as ♪ ♪ just a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ You're gonna lie awake at night until the morning light ♪ ♪ will make you come undone ♪ ♪ Oh baby it's no fun ♪ ♪ How's it feel to be the lonely one?

♪ ♪ ♪ Soon you'll see when you do your own laundry, dear ♪ ♪ The lipstick that you tried to ♪ ♪ hide doesn't make itself disappear ♪ ♪ Now you'll have to wonder where I go after the bar ♪ ♪ is closed and who I'm leaving with ♪ ♪ You'll never know if that one last drink ended up as ♪ ♪ just a goodnight kiss ♪ ♪ You're gonna lie awake at night until the morning light ♪ ♪ will make you come undone ♪ ♪ Oh baby, baby it's no fun ♪ ♪ How's it feel to be the lonely one?

♪ ♪ Oh baby it's no fun ♪ ♪ How's it feel to be the lonely one?

♪ ♪ Thank you so much.

(cheering and applause) ♪ ♪ I've seen the sun rise over London ♪ ♪ Drank champagne on the coast of France ♪ ♪ I've caught some waves out in Hawaii ♪ ♪ Went to Brazil to learn to dance ♪ ♪ But give me a ♪ ♪ Rainy day wakin' up past ten ♪ ♪ We can do what we did last night again ♪ ♪ Give me a ♪ ♪ Glass of scotch out on the balcony ♪ ♪ Watch the stars lookin' back at you and me ♪ ♪ Of all the things I could do ♪ ♪ Nothing beats a nothing day with you ♪ ♪ ♪ I've smoked a joint with Willie Nelson's son ♪ ♪ Got a little too drunk in New Orleans ♪ ♪ Stayed out all night in New York City ♪ ♪ I've lived enough to know what I don't need ♪ ♪ Give me a ♪ ♪ Rainy day wakin' up past ten ♪ ♪ We can do what we did last night again ♪ ♪ Give me a ♪ ♪ Glass of scotch out on the balcony ♪ ♪ Watch the stars lookin' back at you and me ♪ ♪ Of all the things I could do ♪ ♪ Nothing beats a nothing day with you ♪ ♪ (whistling) ♪ Give me a ♪ ♪ Rainy day wakin' up past ten ♪ ♪ We can do what we did last night again ♪ ♪ Give me a ♪ ♪ Glass of scotch out on the balcony ♪ ♪ Watch the stars lookin' back at you and me ♪ ♪ Of all the things I could do ♪ ♪ Nothing beats a nothing day with you ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh nothing beats a nothing day with you ♪ ♪ (cheering and applause) Thank you.

(cheering and applause) I got to work with quite a few people.

Mr. Sinatra was no slouch.

I got to work with him.

I got to work with Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett.

And knowing Mr. Sinatra was an earthly experience because you're driving down the Santa Ana Freeway in your beat up old rusted out Volkswagen and you're listening to this radio station, and you hear this song come on, and it's Frank Sinatra, and he's singing your song.

It's like pull over, you know, get the tears out of your eyes.

You know what, you had this feeling like, "okay; that's history".

♪ ♪ This time we almost made the pieces fit ♪ ♪ Didn't we?

♪ ♪ This time we almost made some sense of it ♪ ♪ Didn't we, girl?

♪ ♪ This time I had the answer, right here in my hand ♪ ♪ Then I touched it and it had turned to sand ♪ ♪ ♪ This time we almost sang our song in tune ♪ ♪ Didn't we, girl?

♪ ♪ This time we almost made it to the moon ♪ ♪ Didn't we, girl?

♪ ♪ This time we almost made our, our poem rhyme ♪ ♪ Oh, and this time we almost made that ♪ ♪ long, hard climb ♪ ♪ Didn't we almost make it?

♪ ♪ Didn't we almost take it, baby?

♪ ♪ Didn't we almost make it this time?

♪ And then Mr. Sinatra used to always add ♪ Thi-i-i-i-s time ♪ (applause) Thank you.

You know, when you don't, when you think about MacArthur Park you probably don't think about country, you know, you don't necessarily.

But I will have you know that MacArthur Park was recorded by Waylon Jennings four times, a world record that will never be equaled or even attempted by any other artist.

Glen used to love doing MacArthur Park because he would come out and play it.

He would, he would like kick out the jams and he would release his awesome virtuosity on the guitar on the audience.

And he put up no barriers.

It wasn't like, "well, I don't play classical," or "I don't play jazz," or anything.

That's the way I've been all my life, and one of the reasons is cuz he was one of the earliest influences on me.

We'll channel Glen.

We'll get a little taste of that tonight.

♪ (applause) ♪ ♪ I recall a yellow cotton dress ♪ ♪ It was foaming like a wave ♪ ♪ On the ground around your knees ♪ ♪ The birds, like tender babies in your hands ♪ ♪ And the old men playing checkers by the trees ♪ ♪ MacArthur Park is melting in the dark ♪ ♪ The sweet, green icing flowing down ♪ ♪ Someone left the cake out in the rain ♪ ♪ And I don't think that I can take it ♪ ♪ It took so long to bake it ♪ ♪ And I'll never have that recipe again ♪ ♪ Oh, no!

♪ ♪ ♪ There will be another song for me ♪ ♪ For I will sing it, ah ♪ ♪ And there will be another dream for me ♪ ♪ Someone will bring it ♪ ♪ I will drink the wine while it is warm ♪ ♪ Never let you catch me looking at the sun ♪ ♪ And after all the loves of my life ♪ ♪ After all the loves of my life ♪ ♪ You'll still be the one ♪ ♪ I will take my life into my hands, I will use it ♪ ♪ I will win the worship in their eyes, ♪ ♪ oh, and I will lose it ♪ ♪ I will have the things that I desire ♪ ♪ And my passion flow like rivers through the sky ♪ ♪ And after all the loves of my life ♪ ♪ After all the loves, I'll be thinking of you ♪ ♪ And wondering why ♪ ♪ ♪ MacArthur Park is melting in the dark ♪ (applause) ♪ flowing down ♪ ♪ Someone left the cake out in the rain ♪ ♪ And I don't think that I can take it ♪ ♪ Cause it took so long to bake it ♪ ♪ And I'll never have that recipe again ♪ ♪ Oh, no!

♪ ♪ ♪ No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

♪ ♪ (cheering and applause) Thank you.

Thank you so much.

You know, a lot of people leave New York and go to Ca-, go to California, but not a lot of people leave California and go to New York.

(laughter) But I have never, and I've been here for 30 years, some of the best years of my life I lived there, and I, I had the California Dream-it wasn't an abstract concept-you just had fun, fun, fun till you, and you know, Daddy never took your T-Bird away.

(laughter) You know, but you could, you could have too much of a good thing, I guess.

But when I realized what I was doing, I was really leaving California, it kind of shook me cause I thought, this is gonna be, this is gonna be lonely.

This is gonna be hard sometimes.

And I remembered what California had given me, and I wrote this song.

♪ ♪ Ran away from home when I was seventeen ♪ ♪ To be with you on the California coast ♪ ♪ Drinking margaritas all night in the old cantina ♪ ♪ On the California coast ♪ ♪ Don't think that I'm ungrateful ♪ ♪ And don't look so morose ♪ ♪ Adios, adios ♪ ♪ We never really made it, baby ♪ ♪ But we came pretty close ♪ ♪ Adios, adios ♪ ♪ ♪ Going up north where the hills are winter green ♪ ♪ I'm gonna leave you on the California coast ♪ ♪ Going where the water's clear and the air is cleaner ♪ ♪ Than the California Coast ♪ ♪ Our dreams of endless summer ♪ ♪ They were just too grandiose ♪ ♪ Adios, adios ♪ ♪ I miss the blood red sunset ♪ ♪ But I miss you the most ♪ ♪ Adios, adios ♪ ♪ ♪ Adios, adios ♪ ♪ Adios, adios ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ Funding for this program was provided by Whelen Engineering Company.

Whelen is a proud sponsor of The Kate and wishes to voice its ongoing support for Connecticut Public Television, the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, and the Michael J.

Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.