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Could the iconic musician Glen Campbell, who currently resides in a memory care facility, land an Oscar nomination on Jan. 15? That was a question that I raised in a post last month in connection with “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” the beautiful and haunting song that proved to be the last one that Campbell recorded before Alzheimer’s Disease put an end to his illustrious career.
The song is featured in the final scene of James Keach‘s Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, a deeply moving chronicle of its subject’s “Goodbye Tour,” and although the film did not land a spot on the Academy’s list of 15 titles shortlisted for the best documentary feature Oscar, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” could still emerge from a long-list of 79 tunes to become one of the five nominees for the best original song Oscar. That would make Campbell, at 78, an Oscar nominee for the first time in his career.
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The Hollywood Reporter hosts an exclusive clip from the end of the documentary that depicts how the heartbreaking song came together: one line at a time, due to Campbell’s memory struggles, and with the help of his friends, the legendary Wrecking Crew, comprised of the most successful group of studio musicians in recording history.
Read more In a Year of Moving Docs, ‘Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me’ May Take the Cake — and an Oscar Nom
The song landed Campbell back on the Billboard charts for the first time in decades (it has gone as high as #21 on the country music charts and #90 on the hot 100) and its music video has attracted more than 4.65 million views on YouTube.
People who receive best original song Oscar nominations and become eligible to win an Oscar are the writers of the music and lyrics of the songs, not the people who perform them on screen. That would rule out Campbell — except for the fact that Campbell is credited for co-writing “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” with producer Julian Raymond.
Read more Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Gregg Alexander Performs, Glen Campbell Feted
Only 20 Oscar nominations have ever been accorded to doc features in categories other than the one designated for them. The most famous examples include best writing, motion picture story for Louisiana Story (1948), best film editing and best sound for Woodstock (1970), best film editing for Hoop Dreams (1994), best original song for An Inconvenient Truth (2006), best foreign language film for Waltz with Bashir (2008) and, most recently, best original song for Chasing Ice (2012).
But I wouldn’t put it past baby boomers, who account for a large chunk of the Academy’s 240-member music branch, to rally behind Campbell, who has been a part of the soundtrack of most of their lives.
Twitter: @ScottFeinberg
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