Christian Country Star Glen Campbell Dead at 81 - JESSILYN JUSTICE CHARISMA NEWS

Glen Campbell sings "Rhinestone Cowboy" during his tribute at the 54th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California. (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo)

Christian Country Star Glen Campbell Dead at 81

 8/8/2017 JESSILYN JUSTICE  CHARISMA NEWS

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Famed country music star and renowned Christian Glen Campbell died Tuesday. He was 81.

The "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Wichita Lineman," singer suffered from Alzheimer's Disease for several years before passing away at an Alzheimer's facility in Nashville, surrounded by his family.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and legendary singer and guitarist, Glen Travis Campbell, at the age of 81, following his long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease," according to a family statement.

Campbell was a musical legacy who impacted multiple genres.

According to Rolling Stone:

In his youth, Campbell started playing guitar and became obsessed with jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. He dropped out of school when he was 14 and moved to Wyoming with an uncle who was a musician, playing gigs together at rural bars. He soon moved to Los Angeles and by 1962 had solidified a spot in the Wrecking Crew, a group of session pros. In 1963 alone he appeared on 586 cuts, and countless more throughout the decade, including the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man," Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas," Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" and the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."  ...

Campbell was married four times, and has five sons and three daughters. Despite his career successes, he struggled with alcoholism and cocaine addiction. In the early '80s, he had a tempestuous, high-profile relationship with country singer Tanya Tucker, who was 22 years his junior. In 1981, he became a born-again Christian, and in 1982, he married Kimberly Woollen, a Radio City Music Hall Rockette, who helped Campbell clean up his life.

He eventually turned to hymns.

"I love singing gospel music and hymns. Being a Christian, I love to tell people about Christ and what he's done for me and can do for them," Campbell said in 1990.

But he still struggled with the party scene that came with musical fame. He says he was a raging cocaine addict before his faith rescued him.

He told Guideposts: 

I had promised Kim that cocaine would not be part of our marriage. I tried and prayed, but I didn't keep that promise. One night shortly after our first child, Cal, was born, some musician friends were in town, and I stayed up till dawn doing cocaine with them.

When I got home Kim was heartbroken and furious, and I was afraid she was going to take Cal and leave. I can't say I would have blamed her but I think it would have torn my heart out.

As I had done so many times before, I begged the Lord to deliver me. I don't understand why, but that day it was as if Jesus reached down and pulled my hand back from the cocaine. I never touched the drug again.

But he still struggled with alcohol.

He told the magazine: 

I used to argue with my pastor about how much wine they drank in the Bible. "Jesus turned water into wine," I'd remind him. He'd look at me, shake his head and say, "Glen, when you can change water into wine, then maybe you can drink it." ...

When God lifted my obsession for alcohol it was as if he raised the curtain on a whole new life. He changed me in ways I never could have changed myself, and that is the key. Kim and I have a real marriage now, an honest marriage.

Today I truly have a peace "which passeth all understanding." I really don't understand it. But I thank the Lord all the time. I am a man richly blessed, despite myself. For all that God has given me, there is nothing for which I am more thankful than Kim.

Campbell is survived by his wife, Kim Campbell of Nashville, Tennessee; their three children, Cal, Shannon and Ashley; his children from previous marriages, Debby, Kelli, Travis, Kane and Dillon; 10 grandchildren, great- and great-great-grandchildren; sisters Barbara, Sandra and Jane; and brothers John Wallace "Shorty" and Gerald.

Jessilyn Justice is the director of online news for Charisma. Born and raised in a pastor's family in Alabama, she attended Lee University and the Washington Journalism Center. She's passionate about sharing God's goodness through storytelling. Tell her what you think of this story on Twitter @jessilynjustice.

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These 5 Things Combat Age-Related Memory Loss - CHARLOTTE LIBOV/NEWSMAX HEALTH

These five things can help prevent memory loss and help you be happier in your golden years. (Flickr )

These 5 Things Combat Age-Related Memory Loss

11/9/2015 CHARLOTTE LIBOV/NEWSMAX HEALTH  charisma health

The number of people who have Alzheimer's disease, along with other brain-robbing neurodegenerative diseases, is at an all-time high and these numbers are growing, a top doctor says.

"Alzheimer's disease is a runaway train barreling down on all of us. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple, from five million to as many as 16 million," Dr. Kevin Passero, N.D., one of the nation's leading naturopathic physicians, tells Newsmax Health.

"There's no cure for Alzheimer's disease, and there's not likely to be one anytime soon. Once someone is stricken with this insidious disease, there's almost no way of stopping the downward spiral that leads to disability and, eventually death," says Passero, co-author of the new book, Save Your Brain from Alzheimer's and Dementia.

But there is hope because such diseases—Alzheimer's included—are not inevitable, he says. A host of lifestyle and nutritional changes you can make can help stack the odds in your favor so you can enjoy a healthy, active brain throughout your whole life, he notes.

Here are five ways to keep your brain sharp even as you age:

1. Cut out sugar. Many studies show that eating too much sugar and other carbohydrates strongly contributes to the development of insulin resistance, a condition that greatly accelerates brain aging and the onset of dementia, says Passero. "Eating a diet low in refined sugar and carbohydrates and high in fiber helps stabilize blood sugar and minimizes surges of insulin [and] could be one of the most powerful ways to keep your brain healthy," he says.

2. Lower blood pressure. Lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease also helps keep your cognitive abilities sharp, it's been found. "Endothelial dysfunction is the critical link between cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline," says Passero. Endothelial dysfunction is a condition in which the inner lining of the blood vessels does not function normally, and is often the result of damage from high blood pressure. This is why controlling blood pressure plays an important role in long-term brain health, he says.

3. Choose healthy fats. "Millions of people adhere to a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet in the name of 'heart health,' but the problem with these diets is they can lead to shortages of essential nutrients that the brain needs to manufacture memory-related neurotransmitters and functional membrane lipids," says Passero. Instead of cutting fat entirely out of your diet, chose healthy forms—including pasture-raised meat and eggs, and wild-caught fish. You can also use coconut or olive oil for cooking, and munch on healthy snacks like nuts and seeds.

4. Banish heavy metals. Toxic heavy metals are everywhere, including water, the food supply, and many household and personal care products. "While some heavy metals — including iron, manganese, copper, zinc, and chromium — are required by the body in small quantities, they act as toxins in larger amounts," says Passero. Of all these potential toxins, aluminum is the one most associated with Alzheimer's disease, so Passero advises not using aluminum foil and avoiding foods wrapped in it. Avoid dietary sources of aluminum by reading labels carefully, and avoiding ingredients with the word "aluminum" anywhere in them.

5. Reduce stress. "We place a lot of emphasis on diet, nutrition, and environmental factors when it comes to Alzheimer's prevention, but there's one major risk factor that is also the most overlooked; stress," says Passero. "Recent research shows that stress upsets the hormonal balance in a manner that can actually accentuate the aging process." He suggests engaging in such stress relievers as exercise, which can also boost brain health, as well as meditation, which studies have shown is a powerful stress reliever and can also boost mental focus.

For the original article, visit newsmaxhealth.com.

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