LL Cool J's show-opening prayer . . . Shout-outs from Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys . . . Jennifer Hudson's elegant rendering of "I Shall Always Love You." Sunday's Grammy Awards show was filled with beautiful tributes to the late Whitney Houston. But one of the night's most uplifting moments was not supposed to make us think about Whitney. But for me it did. The salute to a legendary country pop star who is heading toward his personal sunset offered a surprising and touching opportunity for hope on a night when hope was hard to find.
When Alzheimer's-stricken Glen Campbell took the Grammy stage to lead a joyful singalong of his crossover country classic "Rhinestone Cowboy," he made an exuberant statement about life that defied the disheartening circumstances of Whitney's premature death. "Rhinestone Cowboy" tells the tale of a struggling musician – alone, broke, repeatedly rejected and forced to make desperate choices – who continues to believe that he's destined for greatness. It's an empowering metaphor for anyone facing the difficult and terrible times – including the bleak despair that accompanies unexpected loss.
"Rhinestone" expresses undying faith and determination summed up in the chorus:
There'll be a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon.
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shining on me!
But on Grammy night, Glen Campbell reworded the chorus, turning it into a message of encouragement to all of us:
There'll be a load of compromisin'
On the road to your horizon.
So why not be where the lights are shining on thee!
With those words, Glen Campbell looked up through his advancing illness and gave us a simple, honest and hopeful word about life. We will face hurt and setbacks. We will get our hearts broken. We will have to give up things that are precious to us. We will experience loss. We may feel defeated. But we shouldn't give up or give in. We should embrace life and live each day with a relentless determination to be happy. Even though he's literally facing the end of life as he knows it (it's only a matter of time before Alzheimer's, that thief of mind and memory, exacts its cruel toll), Glen Campbell took a moment to help us feel better about our situation. And he happened to do it on a night when a lot of us were grasping for something to help us feel better.
