CNN acquires ‘Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me’

CNN announced on Sunday that it has acquired domestic broadcast rights to the critically acclaimed documentary Glen Campbell … I’ll Be Me. The theatrical release follows beloved country music legend Glen Campbell and his family as he embarks on a farewell tour after he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The network plans to broadcast the film in June and again in November.

Featuring Campbell singing the Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” — memorably performed by Tim McGraw at last night’s Oscars ceremony — the tender, funny and inspiring film “follows the long goodbye that is Alzheimer’s disease as Campbell, and his family, struggle with the diagnosis and progression of the illness through his poignant ‘Goodbye Tour’ in 2011 to 2012.”

Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011, the singer shared the news publicly, then launched the Goodbye Tour with his wife Kim at his side and an eye on a 5-week run. Audiences’ enthusiastic response to the performances, coupled with Campbell’s continued good health, allowed the tour to expand to more than a year and 151 sold out shows. Meanwhile, the Campbell family lobbied Congress for more Alzheimer’s disease research and funding, and did their best to use love, laughter and music to navigate their patriarch’s progression with the disease.

glen-campbell-ill-be-be-poster“We look forward to having the Campbells’ brave story — unfortunately familiar to too many American families — on CNN,” said the film’s co-producer Trevor Albert in a statement released Sunday by CNN.  “This partnership will guarantee that millions of people will have the opportunity to see our movie and understand just how important it is to both raise awareness – and find an end – to Alzheimer’s disease.”

The film’s director and producer James Keach added, “Here’s a guy, an iconic musician, who was faced with having to hang up his guitar, his career over, but instead, he says, ‘I ain’t done yet. I’m going out to show what this disease is,’ because he wants to change the conversation. If that ain’t a hero, I don’t know what is.”

Bruce Springsteen, Blake Shelton, Paul McCartney, The Edge, Kathy Mattea, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, and many others including President Bill Clinton, contribute their memories of Campbell to the film.

1 Comment

  1. Please send me a schedule of showings for this. My Mother suffers from dementia and I would really like to see this

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About Lori Acken 1195 Articles
Lori just hasn't been the same since "thirtysomething" and "Northern Exposure" went off the air.