Backed by a band that includes his eldest daughter, Debby, on vocals, and his youngest daughter, Ashley, on keyboards, banjo and vocals, the 73-year-old singer ran smoothly through many of his greatest hits.

Campbell began with Gentle on My Mind, stretching out on a guitar solo to show he hadn't lost any of his skills.

After the second song, Galveston, Campbell said, ''Hello, Canberra it's good to be here,'' and after a pause added, ''at my age it's good to be anywhere''.

The set included most of Campbell's big hits including By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Rhinestone Cowboy. The veteran performer saved Wichita Lineman for the encore.

With five Grammy awards and sales of more than 45 million recordings, Campbell is an icon of American popular music. He found a special affinity for the songs of songwriter Jimmie Webb, achieving huge success with Wichita Lineman, Galveston and By the Time I Get to Phoenix.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times