Glen Campbell, 'Rhinestone Cowboy' singer, dead at 81

Glen Travis Campbell brought country music to new audiences. He found success as a session musician before embarking on a solo career that included smashes “Gentle On My Mind,” “Galveston,” “Wichita Lineman” and “Rhinestone Cowboy” and that landed him in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Campbell died after "a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease," his family said Tuesday in a statement. He was 81.

"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."

Campbell's death brought a flood of emotional tributes from across the globe to Nashville, where he had lived, worked and inspired a generation of artists.

Wichita Lineman