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Born in Texas 87 Years Ago, the Elvis Presley Piano Player Who Sounded a Beloved ABC TV Show Alongside a Young Glen Campbell
He rubbed elbows with a young Glen Campbell, recorded with country music giants like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings, and played piano during Elvis Presley’s still-iconic NBC special Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite. Born on this day (April 18) in 1939 in Wellington, Texas, Glen Hardin is coming up on seven decades in music as he celebrates his 87th birthday.
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Following his 1959 discharge from the U.S. Navy, Hardin headed west to Long Beach, California, where he landed a professional pianist gig at the infamous Palomino Club in North Hollywood. The venue was a hotspot for future country stars, with artists like Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, Hoyt Axton, and Willie Nelson gracing the stage there.
Hardin had grown up in West Texas with two original members of Buddy Holly’s band The Crickets, Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin. He became an honorary member after Holly’s death in 1959.
During this time, Hardin also wrote songs for other artists at Liberty Records, scoring his first No. 1 hit with “Count Me In”, recorded by Gary Lewis and the Playboys in 1965. That same year, he joined the Shindogs, which featured on the ABC music variety show Shindig! from 1964 to 1966. Other members included a pre-household name Glen Campbell, along with James Burton, Billy Preston, and Leon Russell.
Over the years, Glen Hardin has recorded with a whole host of A-list musicians, such as Bing Crosby, John Denver, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, and Dwight Yoakam.
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Glen Hardin Played With Elvis Presley
In 1970, Glen Hardin received a phone call from none other than Elvis Presley. The King wanted him to replace keyboardist Larry Muhoberac in the TCB Band, Presley’s highly acclaimed rhythm musicians.
Hardin toured and recorded with Elvis until 1976, during his peak touring years. He also arranged 53 songs for the pop culture phenomenon, such as “The Wonder of You” and “Let It Be Me”.
“I remember the session when we recorded ‘Burning Love’ and it was great fun, although I can’t recall whether I knew at the time what a big hit it would be,” Hardin said in a 2003 interview. “At the time you just get on with your job and have a lot of fun.”
Similarly, Presley’s NBC special Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite was just another day on the job for Hardin. Broadcast live on January 14, 1973, an estimated 1.5 billion people in 36 countries watched the 90-minute event.
Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images
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