You can tell Ashley Campbell’s “Pancho and Lefty” is one of the best renditions in all recording history of this song, that she actually earned a number of new fans from the viewers while appearing on Country Road TV.
Ashley Campbell’s father is none other than the legendary singer Glen Campbell while her mother is former Radio City Rockette dancer, Kimberly Woollen – Glen Campbell’s fourth wife. She is the youngest among eight siblings.
Undeniably, Ashley Campbell is following in her father’s musical footsteps. The younger Campbell released her debut single in 2015, called “Remembering” – which sings about her father and his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. It was one of the ten songs featured in the 2015 documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me.
Two years later, Ashley Campbell finally released her debut album, The Lonely One, and was produced by her brother, Cal Campbell. Indeed, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The Story About The Song
“Pancho and Lefty” was written and originally recorded in 1972 by country singer Townes Van Zandt. Ever since then, it has been greatly considered as his most enduring and famous song. It tells the tale of two partners in crime – one goes by the name Pancho while the other is called Lefty. The two started as apparent allies in trouble at the beginning of the song, but as it goes on, the lyrics revealed how Lefty betrayed Pancho, leading to his untimely death at the federals’ hands.
Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard later adopted the country ballad in 1983 and became the name of their classic duet album. The two country legends popularized the song instantly, soaring until it reached the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles in the United States and Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
Tune in and listen to Ashley Campbell’s “Pancho and Lefty” in the video below!