Re: Check Out This Link
Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:29 am
Great video you found there Randy. Thanks for posting!
Concerning the posts made by Dee and Mike about Glen and politics. I did research this subject quite a bit for wikipedia. In fact, both of you are right. Glen's formal stance during his commercial heyday (1967-1977) was non-political. He did perform for politicians but he did so for both Democratic and Republican candidates. In many cases, Glen knew the politician personally. Also, on The Goodtime Hour, he didn't want to get into politics like The Smothers Brothers did. Of course, Glen's personal political affiliation was probably always conservative. The thing is: he kept his musical career and his political preference apart. However, this changed around 1980. He then famously performed the national hymn with Tanya Tucker for the Republican National Convention. He performed at the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, and at rallies for Reagan's re-election in 1984. He did the same for Bush sr. in 1988 and 1992. During the Clinton era he repeatedly made fun of president Bill Clinton in interviews, making clear his wasn't a supporter of the former Arkansas governor. I believe Glen also performed in support of Bob Dole in 1996 but after that I don't think he was part of campaign performances for George W. Bush in 2000.
Still, even in the years after 1980 he occasionally performed in support of Democratic candidates on the state level. Again, I think these were cases were he knew the politician personally or liked that particular politician for some reason.
In one later interview Glen said he was never a straight party man, meaning he wasn't in favour of the Republican candidate by default. It was always a question whether he liked the person or not.
So in conclusion, to equate Glen with a staunch Republican is not accurate in my view.
Two last notes: 1) before he became really famous he was also more outspoken sometimes. Early 1967 he said in an interview that he was against the Vietnam war. I also think Glen released Universal Soldier because 1) he thought it was a good song and a potential hit and b) he was in fact against the Vietnam war. However, when journalists confronted him with the pacifist message of the song, suggesting it pleaded for draft evasion, he famously replied that draftcard burners should be hung. An exaggeration no doubt, but one that made clear that even though Glen was anti-war, this could never be translated into anti-patriotism.
2) Glen's political preferences never stood in the way he treated people with opposing views. His friendships with people like Jimmy Webb, Willie Nelson and Tom Smothers underline that for Glen, the personal always was more important than the political.
Concerning the posts made by Dee and Mike about Glen and politics. I did research this subject quite a bit for wikipedia. In fact, both of you are right. Glen's formal stance during his commercial heyday (1967-1977) was non-political. He did perform for politicians but he did so for both Democratic and Republican candidates. In many cases, Glen knew the politician personally. Also, on The Goodtime Hour, he didn't want to get into politics like The Smothers Brothers did. Of course, Glen's personal political affiliation was probably always conservative. The thing is: he kept his musical career and his political preference apart. However, this changed around 1980. He then famously performed the national hymn with Tanya Tucker for the Republican National Convention. He performed at the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, and at rallies for Reagan's re-election in 1984. He did the same for Bush sr. in 1988 and 1992. During the Clinton era he repeatedly made fun of president Bill Clinton in interviews, making clear his wasn't a supporter of the former Arkansas governor. I believe Glen also performed in support of Bob Dole in 1996 but after that I don't think he was part of campaign performances for George W. Bush in 2000.
Still, even in the years after 1980 he occasionally performed in support of Democratic candidates on the state level. Again, I think these were cases were he knew the politician personally or liked that particular politician for some reason.
In one later interview Glen said he was never a straight party man, meaning he wasn't in favour of the Republican candidate by default. It was always a question whether he liked the person or not.
So in conclusion, to equate Glen with a staunch Republican is not accurate in my view.
Two last notes: 1) before he became really famous he was also more outspoken sometimes. Early 1967 he said in an interview that he was against the Vietnam war. I also think Glen released Universal Soldier because 1) he thought it was a good song and a potential hit and b) he was in fact against the Vietnam war. However, when journalists confronted him with the pacifist message of the song, suggesting it pleaded for draft evasion, he famously replied that draftcard burners should be hung. An exaggeration no doubt, but one that made clear that even though Glen was anti-war, this could never be translated into anti-patriotism.
2) Glen's political preferences never stood in the way he treated people with opposing views. His friendships with people like Jimmy Webb, Willie Nelson and Tom Smothers underline that for Glen, the personal always was more important than the political.