When Glen Campbell died a couple of weeks ago, it was a chance to remember his contributions across the musical spectrum.
Vancouver resident Roger Hart could appreciate Campbell’s crossover talents — and not just as a fan, but as part of the music business.
Hart was manager of Paul Revere and the Raiders. He called Campbell, who died on Aug. 8, “a friend who was close to the Raiders and shared a few chords with them in the recording studio.”
Hart is still involved in playing the music of that era. He is part of KISN 95.1, a low-powered community supported FM station.
Campbell’s death wasn’t the only celebrity passing this summer linked to Hart’s career path. Hart has a vintage photograph showing him — a bit overshadowed — standing next to one of the most recognizable faces in TV history: Burgess Meredith’s portrayal of the Penguin.
The photo was taken during the filming of a “Batman” episode. Adam West, star of the series, died on June 9. Paul Revere and the Raiders were guest stars on the two-part episode that aired in November 1966.
“I still have that old ‘Batman’ script in my files,” Hart added.
That show was shot at 20th Century Fox studios, “where a lot of film history was made,” Hart said. During one break in the filming, Hart and Meredith — still wearing his Penguin wardrobe — checked out a room filled with old cardboard boxes.
The boxes were full of fan mail from the 1940s, and the biggest share was for actress Betty Grable.
Price of fame
For his part, Campbell was a huge multi-platform star. He had a hit television show and had movie roles that widened his fame.
… Which had its weird aspects, Hart learned.
“Glen told me of one odd part of his fame, when his daughter came to Hollywood to see him. She lived back east with her mother, and rarely saw him,” Hart said.
“Glen told me that he was a bit taken back, when the first thing she did upon arriving was ask him for his autograph. He wasn’t just ‘Dad’ anymore. He was a little sad.”
Off Beat lets members of The Columbian news team step back from our newspaper beats to write the story behind the story, fill in the story or just tell a story.
