Brave Move on Alzheimer's, Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell isn't the first high-profile figure to announce he has Alzheimer's—Ronald Reagan, Charlton Heston, and Sargent Shriver came before him. But it is "extraordinary" that the 75-year-old will hit the road for a farewell tour, write the editors at the Los Angeles Times. His decision "is a milestone in the fight against Alzheimer's, a disease that currently has no cure, afflicts 5 million Americans, and will only strike more as baby boomers age."

Campbell can do for Alzheimer's what Michael J. Fox has done for Parkinson's—put a face on it and "show not only how widespread this disease is but that life goes on even after one is diagnosed with it." Fans may need to be patient with Campbell on stage, but they "should walk away determined to press for more research and funding into this horrendous disease that affects so many." (More Glen Campbell stories.)