How Glen Campbell Saved Me From Fifth Grade Choir [VIDEO]

I was driving home today in my cherry-red Mustang and blaring out of my rolled-down windows were the sweet sounds of Glen Campbell. I've become a fan in recent years and as he fights a deadly disease, I know we will soon lose one of the great country legends.

As I drove home to Prosser tonight, a particular song came on from my Glen Campbell's "10 Greatest Hits" and I was instantly back in the fifth grade at Whitman Elementary in Lewiston, Idaho.

I recalled that's when Glen Campbell saved me from being in the fifth grade choir.

My brothers and sisters and I were looking for extracurricular activities after school, so we decided to give choir a shot.

I'm not much of a singer, mind you, but I do like singing even though I'm devoid of any musical talent.

We entered the choir room and were greeted by an older teacher who introduced herself as Mrs. Carroll. I will never forget her name or the experience after all these years. I went into choir with the best intentions and was bound and determined to sing my lungs out.

At the first practice, Mrs. Carroll had us students all line up in a row. She then proceeded to sit down at the piano and counted us off. I was dumbfounded as the entire choir without hesitation went into "You're A Grand Old Flag" and started singing loudly and proudly.

I tried to mouth the words but couldn't keep up as I didn't know the lyrics to the song. Mrs. Carroll quickly took notice and hastily stopped the choir. She then proceeded to ask my why I wasn't keeping up or singing the right lyrics. I told her I was new to the class and didn't know the lyrics. She looked at me aghast and just when you thought she'd provide some kind of emotional encouragement and a copy of lyrics, she started the choir and continued on.

I was frustrated as I really wanted to be successful in choir, but quickly discovered that Mrs. Carroll was no ally in the endeavor. I think she sensed my non-musical talent and decided to allow me to flounder.

I was only a fifth-grader but keen enough to realize that I wasn't going to get any slack or lifeline from Mrs. Carroll.

I truthfully couldn't sing and my desire to attempt to fool myself into thinking I'd be the next John Davidson (hey, it was 1980) quickly drained into wherever bad ideas come from.

My heart was broken as Mrs. Carroll asked me not to return to choir the next day.

It was a short-lived attempt at being a singer.

But I do remember one song and one song only from fifth grade choir, and that was Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy."

It's the one song I can loudly and proudly sing with all the lyrics intact.

I guess looking back, I have to concede one thing to Mrs Carroll.  She knew that if a person really wants to succeed, they'll do whatever it takes to get the skills or knowledge to make it happen.

I'm sure that's why I later gravitated toward being on the radio years later. I can be a part of the music business without singing, and I get to enjoy playing new music and talking to our listeners every day.

I get the feeling that today, she could hear me singing that song word for word and feel a little bit of pride that I found my own voice all these years later.