It was the early 1980s, and Glen Campbell needed a car to get around Wilmington during the Azalea Festival.

Susan Spring, a young Hertz employee, was eager to help. She helped the singer and his crew into a rental car – and then she got a picture with Campbell.

Spring, who works as director of newsroom operations at The News & Observer, brought out the photo this week when she heard that Campbell died Tuesday. The “Rhinestone Cowboy” singer was 81.

Spring said she had seen some other famous people, including soap opera stars, come through the Eastern North Carolina city of Wilmington for the popular festival. But Campbell was the first celebrity she had met.

So what was he like?

Very nice, Spring said.

And dreamy.