by Michael Hibblen | Apr 27, 2026 | Arkansas History, Music
This story was published in the April 24 issue of The Glenwood Herald.
The tombstone for Glen Campbell and his wife Kimberly at the family’s cemetery in Billstown. Photos: Michael Hibblen
Wednesday, April 22, would have been Glen Campbell’s 90th birthday. The music legend was born in the unincorporated Pike County community of Billstown and is buried in his family’s cemetery there. But he’s more widely known as a native of the nearby town of Delight where he attended school.
He brought national attention to the town by concluding episodes of his television program “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” which ran from 1969 to 1972 on CBS, by saying,“If you’re ever in Delight, Arkansas, come see me.” While he dropped out of school in tenth grade to pursue a music career and left Arkansas, relatives of Campbell still live in the area.
Campbell had a five-decade recording career, first as a session musician, then as a solo artist with a string of hit songs. He released 64 studio albums, selling over 45 million records worldwide. He won multiple Grammy Awards in the country and pop categories, along with other awards and honors. Campbell also acted in several movies, including the 1969 screen adaptation of “True Grit” in which he co-starred with John Wayne.
Glen Travis Campbell was born on April 22, 1936 to John Wesley Campbell and Carrie Dell Campbell. He was the seventh son of 12 children. His father was a sharecropper in Billstown and the family struggled financially while primarily growing cotton. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas notes that many of Glen Campbell’s relatives were musicians and that he developed an early interest in singing and playing. He received his first guitar at the age of 4, began performing in public by age 6, brought his guitar to school while in kindergarten and occasionally played on local radio stations.
He moved with his parents to Houston, Texas, then joined an uncle’s band in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he began performing in nightclubs. He eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1960 where, as people familiar with Campbell’s career know, his incredible guitar playing led to him being an in-demand studio musician backing a diverse group of world-renowned singers. As part of a loose collective of session musicians who became known as “The Wrecking Crew,” he played guitar on many of the biggest hits of the 1960s, ranging from Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night” to the Monkee’s “I’m a Believer.”
Campbell finally found success as a singer in 1967 with “Gentle on my Mind,” followed by the even bigger hits “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman.”
In the subsequent decades he had ups and downs in his personal life, became fodder for the tabloids, but always managed to reemerge to enthusiastic fans. He openly discussed his struggles with alcohol and cocaine, saying he gave up drinking and drugs in 1987. But in 2003 he had a relapse and spent 10 days in an Arizona jail after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
In 2011, Campbell disclosed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but rather than immediately pull back from public eye, he embarked on “The Goodbye Tour.” He performed around the world, including shows in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Forrest City and Jonesboro. A film crew followed him on that tour and captured the progression of his illness. The documentary “I’ll Be Me” was released in 2014 with the opening scene showing Campbell and his wife Kimberly watching old home movies, but he didn’t recognize himself.
Like his candor years earlier on drug and alcohol abuse, the film is credited with helping to reduce the stigma and shame of a condition that a sizable percentage of people will experience.
Glen Campbell died at a long-term care facility in Nashville, Tenn. on August 8, 2017 at the age of 81. He was laid to rest the following day during a private ceremony in Billstown, returning to the community where his life began.
Visiting Campbell’s grave
Last year I was listening to a podcast on the Beach Boys, which referenced Campbell’s work with the band and that he filled in for Brian Wilson on a tour for about four months after Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown in December 1964. Campbell, who had recorded on several Beach Boys songs, was quickly brought in to play bass guitar and sing high harmonies. It dawned on me that several times a month I drive relatively close to Billstown, but had never gone through.
On an early Sunday morning, Feb. 2, 2025, after dropping off my daughter in Texarkana, I put the cemetery address of 821 Billstown Road into my phone. It counted down the miles until I started passing tombstones and saw a wooden post with a hanging sign that said “Campbell’s Cemetery.”
I parked and first read a historical marker placed by the state which told the story of Campbell’s life. I then started walking among the many gravestones, most with Campbell as the surname, looking for Glen Campbell. I soon found the one for him and his wife Kimberly, who is still alive, and was looking at the little trinkets that I assume have been left by fans. Then I was a little startled to hear a recording of Campbell singing “Amazing Grace.” Looking around, I saw a speaker in a tree and realized it was likely triggered by a motion sensor. But it was perfect to hear on a solemn Sunday morning while paying my respects to someone whose music has deeply impacted my life.
A speaker in a tree that plays Campbell’s recording of “Amazing Grace” when activated by a motion sensor.
The sign for Campbell’s Cemetery at 821 Billston Road near Delight, Arkansas.
I shared this story with my friend Mark Keith, co-publisher of the Hope-Prescott News, owner of the Little River Journal and former owner of the Glenwood Herald, and he told me about his visit to the Campbell Cemetery. Being a musician himself and a radio veteran in the area, he said had previously gotten to know several of Glen Campbell’s relatives, including cousin Steve Campbell.
While driving through Billstown several years ago during the pandemic, he realized he hadn’t seen Campbell’s grave and decided to stop. While he knew about the motion sensor that starts “Amazing Grace,” he too was caught off guard when the song began playing. Then he noticed a long white Chevrolet truck was passing the cemetery.
“So it goes down the road and he stops and backs up. And I thought, oh good lord, I’ve upset the Billstown mafia. Well, Steve Campbell gets out, and I’ve known Steve for many, many years. He plays music, has a group, is a very good singer and a very nice guy,” Keith said.
They visited for a little bit, he said, while maintaining social distancing.
“So I was really tickled to see him and I thought that was a great little story to tell everybody about going to Billstown and running into a real live Campbell there.”
by Michael Hibblen | Apr 23, 2026 | Arkansas Health, Arkansas News
I covered the summit for Talk Business & Politics and the story also ran in several Newsroom Ventures newspapers.
Arkansas Minority Health Commission Executive Director Kenya Eddings welcomes participants at the 9th Biennial Minority Health Summit on Friday, April 17. Photo: Michael Hibblen
Many Arkansans need to make significant lifestyle changes to avoid heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the state and nationwide. Arkansas is also being severely impacted by a growing shortage of cardiologists, making it difficult for people to get needed care, especially in the critical minutes after a heart attack or stroke.
Those were among the key points discussed at the 9th Biennial Minority Health Summit, held Friday (April 17) in North Little Rock. Participants said minorities are particularly susceptible because of a range of factors. The Arkansas Minority Health Commission hosted the event with the theme “A Bridge to Care: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Heart Health in Minority Arkansans.”
Executive Director Kenya Eddings stressed the importance of a healthy diet, not using tobacco, being physically active and having access to healthcare. She said heart health is affected by every aspect of daily life and called healthy foods “the most important medicine” people can consume. As heart disease continues to grow, she said it’s also vital that everyone is tested for different types of cholesterol.
But where people live can make that a challenge. Speakers and panelists said many rural and low-income areas have become “cardiology deserts” requiring long drives to see a heart specialist. A declining number of hospitals is also making it harder to get essential care after medical emergencies.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Anthony Fletcher, an interventional cardiologist with CHI St. Vincent Medical Group and president of the Association of Black Cardiologists. He discussed how one of the most common causes of a heart attack is the buildup of plaque causing a blocked coronary artery, which is a life-threatening situation.
“With the appropriate intervention, that artery can be reestablished through the placement of a stent and flow restored and that heart attack can be stopped. But it’s important we do this in a timely fashion. It’s called door-to-balloon time,” Fletcher said, which needs to be under 90 minutes.
Heart disease, the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes, began to decline nationally in the 1960s, he said. “Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show there’s an upswing, and we attribute that to increased diabetes, obesity and hypertension.”
Fletcher said for much of the 20th century, it was taught and widely accepted that Black people did not suffer from heart disease. But data now shows “Blacks will succumb to cardiovascular disease at a higher rate than Caucasians, Hispanics and Asian Americans.”
The reason, he said, is that conditions like diabetes, obesity and chronic kidney disease are more common in Black people. They are also more likely to have a harder time getting healthcare and testing, which leads to a major expense for the state.
“For my politicians, my economists, my policy-makers, my insurance carriers, Arkansas spends $1.47 billion each year because of cardiovascular disease. I’m seeing hospital administrators here nodding. They know all about those dollars and cents,” Fletcher said. “When we look at the risk factors, unfortunately Arkansas leads the nation in the prevalence of these factors.”
He emphasized the importance of people being tested for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose, while also being aware of any family history of heart disease, which Fletcher said can be a key indicator of the risk for subsequent generations.
Joshua Harris, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Well Fed Arkansas, spoke about the role a healthy diet can have in preventing heart disease. But many areas of the state lack stores that sell foods like fruits and vegetables, leaving residents with limited options like ultra processed foods that are designed to have a longer shelf life.
“Its been so processed that there’s not food left — they’ve lost their nutrients,” Harris said. “We created a lot of problems with food that didn’t need to be created.”
His group partners with UAMS and local communities to provide nutritional education and to host pop-up mobile markets at places like libraries and churches where people can get healthy foods.
Reflecting on 35 years
The Arkansas Minority Health Commission was created in 1991 and is part of the state Department of Health. Its founding executive director was Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who at the time was director of the department. She would later be appointed by President Bill Clinton to become U.S. Surgeon General. Elders was praised during Friday’s summit for her determination and tenacity.
Several of the commission’s subsequent executive directors reflected on progress that has been made in the 35 years since its creation, but said many challenges remain in assuring minorities receive equal access to preventative care. Tommy Sproles, who succeeded Elders and led the commission for a decade, said it was created because there were “health disparities that needed to be addressed in so many ways.”
But getting adequate funding to advance its mission was difficult. While the Arkansas Legislature provided some money, he said it wasn’t until the state received its share of a national tobacco settlement from cigarette makers in 2000 — with some of that going to the commission — that solid progress could begin to be made.
Dr. Creshelle Nash, a former medical director for the commission, said the settlement provided funding for studies which provided data that was then used to establish evidence-based approaches for trying to achieve the commission’s goals. While some of the same issues identified 35 years ago remain today, she said “some progress has been made through a combination of advocacy and policy.” Nash also said the commission has provided a training ground for future leaders.
Former commission Executive Director Dr. Idonia L. Trotter Gardner praised former governors Mike Beebe and Asa Hutchinson for supporting initiatives that used federal funds to buy private insurance for low-income adults through the Affordable Care Act marketplace rather than expanding traditional Medicaid. That expanded coverage to 250,000 additional Arkansans, including many minorities who had experienced challenges in obtaining coverage.
Even after that, Melissa Laelan, chief executive officer of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese Inc., said the natives of the Marshall Islands was identified as a group that still faced significant challenges in getting the same care available to others.
“Children were sick and parents couldn’t get access to healthcare,” said Laelan. “We were having a lot of issues with students not going to school.”
In 2018, the Arkansas Department of Health, UAMS and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families made a concerted effort to work with the Marshallese community to help people sign up for the coverage. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Laelan said the Marshallese suffered a higher death rate compared to the general population.
“Long years of not being able to access Medicaid was why they had a high rate of death,” she said. “We need to think about marginalized communities that are still struggling. Now people are being kicked off of Medicaid and SNAP programs. So as we celebrate this 35th anniversary we need to keep in mind what we can do to help these marginalized people.”
by Michael Hibblen | Apr 21, 2026 | Arkansas Business, Arkansas News, Arkansas Preservation
This story, published in The Glenwood Herald on April 17, is a good example of how much I enjoy the unique storytelling opportunities that are available while reporting for small town newspapers.
Building owner Ethan Blackman and Tasha Harris inside the recently cleaned out storefront where she will open her store Farm Fresh Beauty. Photo: Michael Hibblen
Soon the creamy smell of soap being made will be wafting through downtown Glenwood, Ark., emanating from a shop at 223 E. Broadway. It’s the expansion of a business run by Tasha Harris of Kirby who is opening her first brick-and-mortar store.
For 13 years, she has been making small batches of artisan soap from fresh goat milk. It was first intended for a son who had severe baby eczema. Soon she began giving it to other family members and neighbors with some, she said, eventually asking if they could buy it. Thinking she might be able to make a little money, Harris took some bars to sell at a farmers market in Waldron.
“I was so excited that I called my grandmother, my mother-in-law, and I was like, we made $60 today. It didn’t even cover our expenses, but we were so tickled that people would actually want to use our soap,” Harris said. “A lot of the people in the community use our soaps and we’re very grateful for them. Everybody in our family uses them. Our family also drinks goat milk, so, I mean, we’re a goat milk family, that’s for sure.”
She began traveling to events in states throughout the region to sell her soap and eventually launched an online store, shipping soap to customers all over the U.S. But when she recently saw an empty storefront downtown, she decided to end the driving and pursue her dream of putting down roots by opening a soapery called Farm Fresh Beauty.
Earlier this month, a crew spent a few days removing the old interior — things like cheap wood paneling, plaster over walls and lowered ceilings — to get to the bare structure so that she can begin designing how her store will be laid out.
Harris said it’s “exciting and nerve racking. It’s like, it’s all happening really, really fast, but at the same time, it’s just taking forever to get there. So I don’t know how you can feel both, but I totally do.”
She’s working with Ethan Blackmon, who recently bought the building, primarily to use a large warehouse in the back. The storefront, which he estimates is about 1,800 square feet, was just being used for storage.
The two recently walked through the building, marveling at its newly-exposed brick walls and original tin ceiling tiles.
“My crew had a little bit of time on their hands. I was like, yeah, we can go ahead and start on it, but it just worked out perfect,” Blackmon told her.
“I love it, and the best thing is all this natural light is so beautiful,” Harris responded, gesturing toward the front windows.
Looking toward the front of the shop as renovations are underway. Photo: Michael Hibblen
Now visible for the first time in decades is a sign on one wall from the period when this space was a shoe store. It says “self-service,” inviting customers to pick up shoes themselves rather than wait for a salesperson. The sign offers shoes for $2.88 a pair or two pairs for $5.
Blackmon says his family is from Glenwood and has memories of coming to the shoe store.
“My mom grew up, you know, not too well off and so they would come up here and take advantage of the two for $5 shoes. They’d get their new new shoes for school every year,” he said.
Harris and Blackmon looked at the floor and began deciding where to place counters and how she wants her shop to be laid out. Harris is extremely enthusiastic about what’s being planned.
“So we’re going to turn it into a soapery where you can buy all the handmade artisan soaps. You’re also going to be able to get different things like luxury robes, anything spa-like, you’re able to get it there,” Harris said. “We also have an entire men’s line. All kinds of shaving stuff. We’ll even carry the old-timey straight razors and the belts to sharpen it.”
Toward the back of the shop, customers will also be able to watch Harris and her sister-in-law make the soaps.
“We’ll do everything except milk the goats right there. We’re not going to bring goats in, but we are going to make everything back there from the lotions, soaps, everything,” she said.
Harris says her family currently makes 300 to 400 bars of soap a week. On her farm, she has 36 nubian goats and her mother-in-law does the milking. She says the production process has them going through about ten gallons of milk a week.
She’s aiming to open the store by the beginning of July. In the meantime, the key structural work that Blackmon will need to do is replace the roof. Wood that was once used for bowling alley lanes will also be incorporated into the shop. He said one of his hobbies is looking through online marketplaces for old material that can be reused and he found this wood which had been used for a bowling alley in Oklahoma City.
While Harris is excited about her future shop, she’s equally thrilled that it will become part of the revitalization of downtown Glenwood.
“I really feel in five to 10 years it’s going to be even bigger than it is now. So I knew that if I was going to do this, this is where I wanted to be,” she said. “I feel like downtown is really starting to come alive, and it’s just going to get bigger. So if I was going to get in, now is the time to do it.”
