Country legend Glen Campbell has been sued for breach of contract over his upcoming documentary film, "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me," which chronicles the singer's battle with Alzheimer's disease. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, raises serious legal questions about the validity of contracts signed by people with Alzheimer's.
"Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me" is scheduled to be released Oct. 24 and has been mentioned as a possible Academy Award contender in the feature documentary category, reports the New York Times. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at a 151-show farewell tour Campbell began shortly after announcing in 2011 that he had Alzheimer's, and includes moving footage showing him at his doctor's office and struggling onstage to remember lyrics and chords to songs long associated with him.
The documentary also features cameo appearances by many of Campbell's admirers, including Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Bruce Springsteen, notes Country Weekly. The film was directed by James Keach, who produced the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line."
The suit against Campbell, filed by the Record Company, an L.A.-based production and media company, alleges that the singer - who had a string of hit records before and after starring opposite John Wayne in 1969's "True Grit" - broke his written contract to jointly develop and produce the film, according to Deadline. The suit alleges that the Record Company and Campbell "agreed to collaborate with one another, on an exclusive basis, to develop, produce and exploit" the project.
Campbell, 78, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame. He is best known for his hits that include "Gentle on My Mind," "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Rhinestone Cowboy." He also was the host of "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour," a popular television show in the late 1960s and 1970s, and played on some of the biggest pop and rock hits of the 1960s as a studio musician.
Campbell and his lawyers have not yet commented on the complaint in court filings or on his website, notes the New York Times. In April, it was reported that Campbell's condition had deteriorated to the point that he was no longer able to live at home, and had been moved into an Alzheimer's care facility.
An early draft of the contract at the center of the suit was signed by Campbell on June 7, 2011, just two weeks before he revealed publicly that he has Alzheimer's, Deadline repots. The suit alleges the contract was finalized on June 30 - a week after Campbell's announcement - "by and through [Campbell's] authorized agent and manager of several years, Stanley Schneider."
