Jimmy Webb - Songwriter

Jimmy Webb is one of America's most acclaimed songwriters, known for crafting richly emotional lyrics and soaring melodies that have become classics of 20th-century popular music. Born on August 15, 1946, in Elk City, Oklahoma, Webb grew up in a religious household and was exposed to church music and classical training early on. His breakthrough came in the 1960s, when he began writing songs that caught the attention of major artists, especially Glen Campbell, who would go on to record several of Webb’s most iconic compositions.

Webb’s early hits included “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “Galveston”—songs that blended pop and country with symphonic undertones and poetic lyrics. These tracks stood out not just for their catchy melodies but also for their emotional depth and storytelling. “MacArthur Park,” another of his best-known songs, defied traditional pop structure with its surreal imagery and orchestral grandeur, becoming a worldwide hit for Richard Harris in 1968.

Over the decades, Webb's work has been recorded by a wide range of artists, from Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand to Linda Ronstadt and Art Garfunkel. Despite his fame as a songwriter, Webb is also a talented performer and pianist in his own right. He has released several solo albums and often performs his own material in concert, offering insight into the stories behind his songs.

In addition to his musical contributions, Webb is an author and advocate for songwriters' rights. His memoir The Cake and the Rain and his instructional book Tunesmith are both respected works in music literature. Jimmy Webb's legacy lies in his ability to merge heartfelt lyrics with sweeping musical arrangements, creating timeless songs that continue to resonate across generations.