Campbell, like George Benson, rightly figured out he could make a LOT more money as an entertainer than simply being one of the most absolutely gifted session guitarists that God ever wrought from the Arkansas mud. Imagine playing 100-piece orchestra dates for Frank Sinatra, and he could NOT read music. And yet he could walk away from this guitar and do other things, but never lost that amazing facility. Jerry Reed was the same way; long after he became a movie and TV regular, he had a standing offer from Windham Hill for years to just send them 40 minutes of ANYTHING he felt like cutting, but he preferred to go fishing.
I once saw him on HeeHaw back in the day and inevitably he and Roy Clark played together. It was some old warhorse like 'Under the Double Eagle' or something similar. They both played the head and then starting trading 12 bar passes. Roy played a lot of his stock and trade tricks, and then he'd hand it over to GC who cut him up like a Christmas turkey, it wasn't even fair.
He came on a local Nashville 'News at Noon' sort of show, and after the headlines, he and the host did a long interview, GC sitting there with one of his Sig Ovations on his lap. The host would ask him about this song or that, and he'd just play parts of those tunes, like skeet shooting for him, an amazing demonstration, talking to the guy the whole time he's shredding.
He was an idol to no less than Steve Lukather, and no less to me, either. I don't think I've ever seen as much God given talent in one person, and it will be a long time before we see another like him. I'm glad he's free now, but I shall really miss him.
