Jimmy Webb
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Webb is an American
songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away
", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix
", "Wichita Lineman
", "Galveston
", "The Worst That Could Happen
", "All I Know
", and "MacArthur Park
". His songs have been recorded or performed by Glen Campbell
, The 5th Dimension, Thelma Houston
, The Supremes
, Richard Harris
, Johnny Maestro, Frank Sinatra
, Elvis Presley
, Isaac Hayes
, Art Garfunkel
, Amy Grant
, America
, Linda Ronstadt
, R.E.M.
, Michael Feinstein
, and Carly Simon
, among others. According to BMI
, his song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was the third most performed song in the fifty years between 1940 to 1990. Webb is the only artist to have ever received Grammy Awards
for music, lyrics, and orchestration.
. His father, Robert Lee Webb, was a Baptist minister and former member of the United States Marine Corps
who presided over rural churches in southwestern Oklahoma and west Texas. With his mother's encouragement, Webb learned piano and organ, and by the age of 12 was playing in the choir of his father's churches, accompanied by his father on guitar and his mother on accordion. Webb grew up in a conservative religious home where his father restricted radio listening to country music and white gospel music.
During the late 1950s, Webb started writing songs, influenced by the church music he played and also by some of the new music he heard, including Elvis Presley
. In 1961, at the age of 14, he bought his first record, "Turn Around, Look at Me
" by Glen Campbell
. Webb was drawn to the singer's distinctive voice.
In 1964, Webb and his family moved to Southern California
, where he attended San Bernardino Valley College
studying music. Following the death of his mother in 1965, his father made plans to return to Oklahoma. Webb decided to stay in California to continue his music studies and to pursue a career as a songwriter in Los Angeles
. As father and son said goodbye in San Bernardino, Webb would later recall his father saying, "This songwriting thing is going to break your heart." But seeing that his son was determined to be a success, he gave his son $40. "It's not much", he said, "but it's all I have."
. The first commercial recording of a Jimmy Webb song was "My Christmas Tree" by The Supremes
, which appeared on their 1965 Merry Christmas
album. The following year, Webb met singer and producer Johnny Rivers
, who signed him to a publishing deal and recorded his song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" on his 1966 album Changes.
In 1967, Rivers turned to Webb for songs for a new group Rivers was producing called The 5th Dimension. Webb contributed five songs to their début album Up, Up and Away. The song "Up, Up and Away
" was released as a single in May 1967 and reached the Top Ten. The group's follow-up album, The Magic Garden
, was also released in 1967 and featured eleven Jimmy Webb songs, including "The Worst That Could Happen
". In November 1967, Glen Campbell released his version of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", which reached No. 26 and became an instant pop standard. At the 1967 Grammy Awards, "Up, Up and Away" was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year. "Up, Up and Away" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" received eight Grammy Awards between them. Webb's success as a new songwriter was unprecedented, and underscored what became the central dilemma in his career. While his sophisticated melodies and orchestrations were embraced by mainstream audiences, his peers were embracing counter-culture sounds. Webb was quickly becoming out of sync with his times.
In 1968, Time
acknowledged Webb's range and proficiency when it referred to his string of hits, noting "Webb's gift for strong, varied rhythms, inventive structures, and rich, sometimes surprising harmonies." That year, the string of successful Webb songs continued with The 5th Dimension's "Paper Cup" and "Carpet Man" reaching the Top 40, Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman
" selling over a million copies, and Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
scoring a gold record with "The Worst That Could Happen
", a song originally recorded by The 5th Dimension. Webb formed his own production and publishing company that year, Canopy, and scored a hit with its first project, an unlikely album with Irish actor Richard Harris
singing an album of all Jimmy Webb songs. One of the songs, "MacArthur Park
", was a long, complex piece with multiple movements that was originally rejected by the group the Association
, which had commissioned it. Despite the song's seven minute, twenty-one second length, Webb released "MacArthur Park" as a single, and it quickly reached Number 2 on the singles chart. The Richard Harris album A Tramp Shining
stayed on the charts for almost a year. Webb and Harris produced a followup album, The Yard Went On Forever
, which was also successful. At the 1968 Grammy Awards, Webb accepted awards for "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", and "MacArthur Park".
In 1969, Glen Campbell continued the streak of Jimmy Webb hits with the gold record "Galveston" and "Where's the Playground Susie", quickly becoming the finest interpreter of Jimmy Webb songs. Webb and Campbell had first met during the production of a General Motors
commercial. Webb arrived at the recording session with his Beatle
-length hair and approached the conservative singer, who looked up from his guitar and said, "Get a haircut." That same year, two Jimmy Webb songs became hits for the second time with Isaac Hayes
' soulful version of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and Waylon Jennings
' Grammy-winning country version of "MacArthur Park". Webb finished up the year by writing, arranging, and producing Thelma Houston
's first album, Sunshower
. As the decade came to a close, so too did Webb's string of hit singles. He began to withdraw from the formulaic process in which he worked and began to experiment with his music. He started work on a semi-autobiographical Broadway musical called His Own Dark City, which reflected the emotional displacement he felt at the time. He also wrote music for the films How Sweet It Is!
and Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here
.
Beginning in 1970, Webb recorded six original albums of his own songs: Words and Music
(1970), And So: On
(1971), Letters
(1972), Land's End
(1974), El Mirage
(1977), and Angel Heart
(1982). Despite the critical reception that followed each of these projects, Webb has never been as successful as a performer as he has been a songwriter and arranger. Each album was noted for its inventive music and memorable lyrics.
Webb's debut album as a performer, Words and Music, was released in late 1970 to critical acclaim. Rolling Stone
writer Jon Landau called one of the album's cuts, "P.F. Sloan," a "masterpiece [that] could not be improved upon." The tune and the lyrics may have been allusions to the singer-songwriter P. F. Sloan
, who had helped Webb early in Webb's career; a dispute between the two later led Webb to insist that he made up the title, implying that the title and the name of his former friend were mere coincidences. Webb's 1971 follow up album, And So: On, proved equally appealing to critics. Rolling Stone declared the album "another impressive step in the conspiracy to recover his identity from the housewives of America and rightfully install him at the forefront of contemporary composers/performers." His 1972 album Letters met with similar praise. Peter Reilly of Stereo Review
wrote, "Jimmy Webb is the most important pop music figure to emerge since Bob Dylan."
Throughout the 1970s, Webb lived in Encino, Los Angeles, California
, fraternizing with Joni Mitchell
and Harry Nilsson
. He also struck up a lifelong friendship with actor Michael Douglas
. Webb's song "Campo de Encino" chronicled his adventures and misadventures in his park-like hacienda
. In 1974, Webb married Patsy Sullivan, a model-cover girl
and youngest child of screen actor Barry Sullivan
. The couple met posing for the cover of Teen
. Patsy is featured with Webb on the cover of Webb's 1982 solo album Angel Heart. They have five sons and a daughter together. Four of their sons later formed a rock band, "The Webb Brothers
". The couple split after 22 years.
's Watermark
album consisted exclusively of Webb's works, and in 1981, Garfunkel recorded "Scissors Cut", "In Cars", and "That's All I've Got to Say" on his album Scissors Cut. In 1980, Thelma Houston recorded "Before There Could Be Me", "Breakwater Cat", "Gone", "Long Lasting Love", and "What Was that Song" on her album Breakwater Cat
. Leah Kunkel recorded "Never Gonna Lose My Dream of Love Again" and "Let's Begin" for her album I Run with Trouble. The latter was performed live in 1980 by the born-again Bob Dylan. Tanya Tucker
recorded "Tennessee Woman" on her album Dreamlovers. Arlo Guthrie
recorded "Oklahoma Nights" on his album Power of Love. In 1982, Linda Ronstadt
recorded "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" and "Easy for You to Say" on her album Get Closer
. Joe Cocker
recorded "Just Like Always" on his album Sheffield Steel
. The Everly Brothers
recorded "She Never Smiles Anymore" on the album Living Legends.
From 1982 to 1992, Webb turned his focus from solo performing to larger-scale projects, such as film scores, Broadway musicals, and classical music
. In 1982, he produced the soundtrack for the film The Last Unicorn
, an animated children's tale, with the musical group America
performing Webb's songs. That same year, he composed the soundtrack to all episodes of the TV series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
.
In 1985, Glen Campbell recorded Webb's "Cowboy Hall of Fame" and "Shattered" for the album It's Just a Matter of Time. And heavyweights Johnny Cash
, Waylon Jennings
, Willie Nelson
, and Kris Kristofferson
recorded "Highwayman
" on the album Highwayman. In 1988, Toto
recorded "Home of the Brave" on the album The Seventh One
. Kenny Rankin
recorded "She Moves, Eyes Follow" for the album Hiding in Myself. And in 1989, Linda Ronstadt recorded the album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
, which featured four Jimmy Webb songs: "Still Within the Sound of My Voice" (with Webb playing piano), "Adios" (with orchestral arrangement by Webb), "I Keep It Hid" (with Webb playing piano), and "Shattered". In 1990, John Denver
recorded "Postcard from Paris" on the album The Flower That Shattered the Stone. In 1991, Kenny Rogers
recorded "They Just Don't Make Em Like You Anymore" on the album Back Home Again
.
In 1986, Webb produced the cantata
The Animals' Christmas, with Art Garfunkel, Amy Grant
, and the London Symphony Orchestra
, which tells the Christmas story
from the perspective of animals.
In 1987, Webb produced the soundtrack for the film The Hanoi Hilton
. That same year, he reunited with Campbell for the album Still Within the Sound of My Voice, for which he wrote the title song. They followed this up in 1988 with an album composed almost entirely of Jimmy Webb songs, Light Years. The album included the title song, as well as "Lightning in a Bottle", "If These Walls Could Speak" (which was recorded by Amy Grant that year) and "Our Movie". Two songs from 1982's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers also appear on the album. The record also included the songs "Other People's Lives", "Wasn't There A Moment", "I Don't Know How To Love You Anymore", and "Is There Love After You". Several of these songs later ended up on Webb solo albums.
In 1992, Webb completed a musical called Instant Intimacy, which he developed with the Tennessee Repertory Theatre. The musical contained new songs that he and others would later record, including "What Does a Woman See in a Man", "I Don't Know How to Love You Anymore", and "Is There Love After You". That same year, Webb performed live at the club Cinegrill, performing "What Does a Woman See in a Man" and introducing several additional new songs, including "Sandy Cove" and an old folk hymn, "I Will Arise".
In 1994, Webb teamed up with Nanci Griffith
to contribute the song "If These Old Walls Could Speak" to the AIDS
benefit album Red Hot + Country
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
(1993), Ten Easy Pieces
(1996), Twilight of the Renegades
(2005), and Just Across the River
(2010). He has continued to expand his creative landscape to include musicals
, commercial
jingles
, and film scores
. More recently, he has written music for television
, including the show E/R
.
In 1998, Webb completed his first book, Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting, which was published by Hyperion Books. It was well received by songwriters and performers and became a best-seller. One book reviewer described it as "a companion every serious songwriter should read, and read again, and keep handy for referral."
In the 2000s, Webb has talked more openly about his return to the Christian faith of his upbringing and the role it has played in his music. In addition to his cantata, The Animals' Christmas, he has always included religious songs in his albums—"Psalm One-Five-O", "Jerusalem", and "I Will Arise" are a few examples—and his lyrics have included biblical verses and allusions. In an October 2007 interview with Nigel Bovey, editor of The Salvation Army
newspaper The War Cry
, Webb was quite explicit about his renewed faith.
Webb has stated, "I am a strong believer in God... God is important to me. God is bigger than any one particular denomination. I don't like it when people try to confine Him. I don't put any limits on God." Webb reads the King James Version of the Bible
.
In 2004, Webb married Laura Savini, who appears nationally on PBS
in pledge-drive programs. From 1996–2011, Savini was Vice President of Marketing and Communications at WLIW
, a PBS station in New York City
. The couple first met backstage on New Year's Eve 1999 at Billy Joel's
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
at Madison Square Garden
. They met again when Savini interviewed Webb for her local television show and the two soon started dating. They settled on the North Shore of Long Island.
In 2007, he released a live album of his show, Live and at Large
(2007), which was recorded in the United Kingdom
. The album includes personal stories and anecdotes about Richard Harris
, Waylon Jennings
, Harry Nilsson
, Glen Campbell
, Art Garfunkel
, Frank Sinatra
, and Rosemary Clooney
.
In June 2010, Webb released Just Across the River
, an album of newly-arranged Webb classics that features guest appearances by Vince Gill
, Billy Joel
, Willie Nelson
, Lucinda Williams
, Jackson Browne
, Glenn Campbell
, Michael McDonald
, Mark Knopfler
, J. D. Souther
, and Linda Ronstadt
.
In 2011, Webb was unanimously elected Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame
, replacing Hal David
who retired after ten years in that position.
Today Jimmy Webb is considered among the finest songwriters of his generation, and is frequently compared to legendary songsmiths George Gershwin
, Richard Rodgers
, Cole Porter
, Barry Mann
, and Burt Bacharach
, whom Webb credits as one of his strongest musical influences. Webb continues to record and perform in the United States
and abroad.
Albums of Jimmy Webb songs
Compilation albums
Songs
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away
Up, Up and Away (song)
"Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension, that became a major pop hit, reaching #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #18 in Canada...
", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was made famous by American country music singer Glen Campbell, appearing as the opening track on the latter's 1967 album of the same name. Campbell's version reached #2 on...
", "Wichita Lineman
Wichita Lineman
"Wichita Lineman" is a popular song written by Jimmy Webb in 1968, first recorded by Glen Campbell and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks...
", "Galveston
Galveston (song)
"Galveston" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb and popularized by American country music singer Glen Campbell. In 2003, this song ranked #8 in CMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Glen Campbell's version of the song also made #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the country music...
", "The Worst That Could Happen
The Worst That Could Happen
"The Worst That Could Happen" is a song with lyrics and music written by singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by The 5th Dimension on their 1967 album of nearly all-Jimmy Webb songs, The Magic Garden, "The Worst That Could Happen" was later recorded by Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn...
", "All I Know
All I Know
"All I Know" is 1973 pop ballad written by Jimmy Webb, and recorded by over 20 different artists. Art Garfunkel's original 1973 rendition for his solo debut album, Angel Clare, is the most well-known and the highest-charting version, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on...
", and "MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park (song)
"MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's...
". His songs have been recorded or performed by Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
, The 5th Dimension, Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
, The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
, Johnny Maestro, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
, Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Michael Feinstein
Michael Feinstein
Michael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs...
, and Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, among others. According to BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
, his song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was the third most performed song in the fifty years between 1940 to 1990. Webb is the only artist to have ever received Grammy Awards
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for music, lyrics, and orchestration.
Early life
Jimmy Layne Webb was born August 15, 1946 in Elk City, OklahomaElk City, Oklahoma
Elk City is a city in Beckham County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 11,693 at the 2010 census. Elk City is located on Interstate 40 and Historic U.S. Route 66 in Western Oklahoma, approximately west of Oklahoma City and east of Amarillo....
. His father, Robert Lee Webb, was a Baptist minister and former member of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who presided over rural churches in southwestern Oklahoma and west Texas. With his mother's encouragement, Webb learned piano and organ, and by the age of 12 was playing in the choir of his father's churches, accompanied by his father on guitar and his mother on accordion. Webb grew up in a conservative religious home where his father restricted radio listening to country music and white gospel music.
During the late 1950s, Webb started writing songs, influenced by the church music he played and also by some of the new music he heard, including Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. In 1961, at the age of 14, he bought his first record, "Turn Around, Look at Me
Turn Around, Look at Me
"Turn Around, Look at Me" is the name of a song written by Jerry Capehart.In 1961, Glen Campbell released his version as a single. This was his first song to chart in the United States, hitting #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.-The Lettermen's version:...
" by Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
. Webb was drawn to the singer's distinctive voice.
In 1964, Webb and his family moved to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, where he attended San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Valley College is a community college located in San Bernardino, California. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The two-year college has an enrollment of approximately 25,000 students and covers...
studying music. Following the death of his mother in 1965, his father made plans to return to Oklahoma. Webb decided to stay in California to continue his music studies and to pursue a career as a songwriter in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. As father and son said goodbye in San Bernardino, Webb would later recall his father saying, "This songwriting thing is going to break your heart." But seeing that his son was determined to be a success, he gave his son $40. "It's not much", he said, "but it's all I have."
Early songwriting success
After transcribing other people's music for a small music publisher, Webb was signed to a songwriting contract with Jobete Music, the publishing arm of Motown RecordsMotown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
. The first commercial recording of a Jimmy Webb song was "My Christmas Tree" by The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, which appeared on their 1965 Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas (Supremes album)
Merry Christmas is a Christmas album recorded by Motown girl group The Supremes, and released on Motown Records in November 1965 . The LP, produced by Harvey Fuqua, includes recordings of familiar Christmas songs such as "White Christmas", "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", and "Joy to the World"...
album. The following year, Webb met singer and producer Johnny Rivers
Johnny Rivers
Johnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...
, who signed him to a publishing deal and recorded his song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" on his 1966 album Changes.
In 1967, Rivers turned to Webb for songs for a new group Rivers was producing called The 5th Dimension. Webb contributed five songs to their début album Up, Up and Away. The song "Up, Up and Away
Up, Up and Away (song)
"Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension, that became a major pop hit, reaching #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #18 in Canada...
" was released as a single in May 1967 and reached the Top Ten. The group's follow-up album, The Magic Garden
The Magic Garden
The Magic Garden is the second album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1967 .-Track listing:All songs written by Jimmy Webb, except where noted#"Prologue" – 1:24#"The Magic Garden" – 2:48...
, was also released in 1967 and featured eleven Jimmy Webb songs, including "The Worst That Could Happen
The Worst That Could Happen
"The Worst That Could Happen" is a song with lyrics and music written by singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by The 5th Dimension on their 1967 album of nearly all-Jimmy Webb songs, The Magic Garden, "The Worst That Could Happen" was later recorded by Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn...
". In November 1967, Glen Campbell released his version of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", which reached No. 26 and became an instant pop standard. At the 1967 Grammy Awards, "Up, Up and Away" was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year. "Up, Up and Away" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" received eight Grammy Awards between them. Webb's success as a new songwriter was unprecedented, and underscored what became the central dilemma in his career. While his sophisticated melodies and orchestrations were embraced by mainstream audiences, his peers were embracing counter-culture sounds. Webb was quickly becoming out of sync with his times.
In 1968, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
acknowledged Webb's range and proficiency when it referred to his string of hits, noting "Webb's gift for strong, varied rhythms, inventive structures, and rich, sometimes surprising harmonies." That year, the string of successful Webb songs continued with The 5th Dimension's "Paper Cup" and "Carpet Man" reaching the Top 40, Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman
Wichita Lineman
"Wichita Lineman" is a popular song written by Jimmy Webb in 1968, first recorded by Glen Campbell and widely covered by other artists. Campbell's version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the U.S. pop chart, remaining in the Top 100 for 15 weeks...
" selling over a million copies, and Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is an American musical group, best known for their million selling rendition of Jimmy Webb's "The Worst That Could Happen" .-History:...
scoring a gold record with "The Worst That Could Happen
The Worst That Could Happen
"The Worst That Could Happen" is a song with lyrics and music written by singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by The 5th Dimension on their 1967 album of nearly all-Jimmy Webb songs, The Magic Garden, "The Worst That Could Happen" was later recorded by Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn...
", a song originally recorded by The 5th Dimension. Webb formed his own production and publishing company that year, Canopy, and scored a hit with its first project, an unlikely album with Irish actor Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
singing an album of all Jimmy Webb songs. One of the songs, "MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park (song)
"MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's...
", was a long, complex piece with multiple movements that was originally rejected by the group the Association
The Association
The Association is a pop music band from California in the folk rock or soft rock genre. During the 1960s, they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival...
, which had commissioned it. Despite the song's seven minute, twenty-one second length, Webb released "MacArthur Park" as a single, and it quickly reached Number 2 on the singles chart. The Richard Harris album A Tramp Shining
A Tramp Shining
A Tramp Shining is an album by Richard Harris, released in 1968. Harris teamed with singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb for this album. Although Harris sang many numbers on the soundtrack album to the film musical Camelot in the previous year, A Tramp Shining became his first solo album. Jimmy Webb wrote...
stayed on the charts for almost a year. Webb and Harris produced a followup album, The Yard Went On Forever
The Yard Went On Forever
The Yard Went On Forever is an album by Richard Harris released in 1968. The songs were written, arranged, and produced by Jimmy Webb. The album was released by Dunhill Records .-Critical reception:...
, which was also successful. At the 1968 Grammy Awards, Webb accepted awards for "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", and "MacArthur Park".
In 1969, Glen Campbell continued the streak of Jimmy Webb hits with the gold record "Galveston" and "Where's the Playground Susie", quickly becoming the finest interpreter of Jimmy Webb songs. Webb and Campbell had first met during the production of a General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
commercial. Webb arrived at the recording session with his Beatle
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
-length hair and approached the conservative singer, who looked up from his guitar and said, "Get a haircut." That same year, two Jimmy Webb songs became hits for the second time with Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
' soulful version of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
' Grammy-winning country version of "MacArthur Park". Webb finished up the year by writing, arranging, and producing Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
's first album, Sunshower
Sunshower (Thelma Houston album)
Sunshower is the debut album of Thelma Houston released in 1969 on Dunhill Records. It was produced by Jimmy Webb and became a critically acclaimed album, it charted at #50 on the Billboard R&B charts....
. As the decade came to a close, so too did Webb's string of hit singles. He began to withdraw from the formulaic process in which he worked and began to experiment with his music. He started work on a semi-autobiographical Broadway musical called His Own Dark City, which reflected the emotional displacement he felt at the time. He also wrote music for the films How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is!
How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
and Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here is a Technicolor movie released in 1969, based on the true story of a Paiute Indian named Willie Boy and his run-in with the law in 1909 in Banning, California, United States....
.
Singer-songwriter years
Webb's solo career got off to a rough start with the 1968 "counterfeit" solo album Jimmy Webb sings Jimmy Webb (Epic), which was produced, according to Webb, "by a bunch of ruffians from some old demos of mine and tarted up to sound like 'MacArthur Park'. It was quite a piece of crap and was received with great anticipation and crushing disappointment at the radio level."Beginning in 1970, Webb recorded six original albums of his own songs: Words and Music
Words and Music (Jimmy Webb album)
Words and Music is Jimmy Webb's second album, and his first legitimate album.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicated#"Sleepin' In The Daytime"#"P.F...
(1970), And So: On
And So: On
And So: On is the third album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1971.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb# "Met Her on a Plane"# "All Night Show"# "All My Love's Laughter"# "Highpockets"# "Marionette"# "Laspitch"...
(1971), Letters
Letters (Jimmy Webb album)
Letters is the fourth album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1972.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicated# "Galveston"# "Campo de Encino"# "Love Hurts" # "Simile"# "Hurt Me Well"...
(1972), Land's End
Land's End (Jimmy Webb album)
Land's End is the fifth album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1974.- Track listing :# "Ocean In His Eyes"# "Feet in the Sunshine"# "Cloudman"# "Lady Fits Her Blue Jeans"# "Just This One Time"# "Crying In My Sleep"# "It's A Sin"...
(1974), El Mirage
El Mirage (Jimmy Webb album)
El Mirage is Jimmy Webb's sixth album. Released by Atlantic Records in 1977, it was the first album for which Webb handed production and arrangement duties on to another person, George Martin, producer of The Beatles....
(1977), and Angel Heart
Angel Heart (Jimmy Webb album)
Angel Heart is the seventh album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1982.-Track listing:All songs written by Jimmy Webb except "One of the Few" which was written by John Cooper# "Angel Heart"# "God's Gift"# "One of the Few"...
(1982). Despite the critical reception that followed each of these projects, Webb has never been as successful as a performer as he has been a songwriter and arranger. Each album was noted for its inventive music and memorable lyrics.
Webb's debut album as a performer, Words and Music, was released in late 1970 to critical acclaim. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer Jon Landau called one of the album's cuts, "P.F. Sloan," a "masterpiece [that] could not be improved upon." The tune and the lyrics may have been allusions to the singer-songwriter P. F. Sloan
P. F. Sloan
P.F. Sloan is an American pop-rock singer and songwriter. He was very successful during the mid-1960s, writing, performing and producing Billboard top 20 hits for artists such as Barry McGuire, Jan & Dean, Herman's Hermits, Johnny Rivers, The Grass Roots and the Mamas and the Papas...
, who had helped Webb early in Webb's career; a dispute between the two later led Webb to insist that he made up the title, implying that the title and the name of his former friend were mere coincidences. Webb's 1971 follow up album, And So: On, proved equally appealing to critics. Rolling Stone declared the album "another impressive step in the conspiracy to recover his identity from the housewives of America and rightfully install him at the forefront of contemporary composers/performers." His 1972 album Letters met with similar praise. Peter Reilly of Stereo Review
Stereo Review
Stereo Review was an American magazine first published in 1958 by Ziff-Davis with the title HiFi and Music Review. It was one of a handful of magazines then available for the individual interested in high fidelity. Throughout its life it published a blend of record and equipment reviews, articles...
wrote, "Jimmy Webb is the most important pop music figure to emerge since Bob Dylan."
Throughout the 1970s, Webb lived in Encino, Los Angeles, California
Encino, Los Angeles, California
Encino is a hilly district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Specifically, it is located in the central portion of the southern San Fernando Valley and on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains...
, fraternizing with Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
and Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
. He also struck up a lifelong friendship with actor Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
. Webb's song "Campo de Encino" chronicled his adventures and misadventures in his park-like hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
. In 1974, Webb married Patsy Sullivan, a model-cover girl
Cover girl
A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a magazine....
and youngest child of screen actor Barry Sullivan
Barry Sullivan (actor)
Barry Sullivan was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football...
. The couple met posing for the cover of Teen
Teen (magazine)
Teen was an American teen lifestyle magazine for preteen and early teenage girls, ages 10 to 15. The content of Teen included advice, entertainment news, quizzes, fashion, beauty, celebrity role models, and "real-girl stories".-Content:...
. Patsy is featured with Webb on the cover of Webb's 1982 solo album Angel Heart. They have five sons and a daughter together. Four of their sons later formed a rock band, "The Webb Brothers
The Webb Brothers
The Webb Brothers are a rock band from Chicago, Illinois, who formed in 1998.-History:The Webb Brothers are Christiaan, Justin and James Webb, sons of the songwriter Jimmy Webb and Patsy Sullivan, a cover girl and top model. They are grandsons of actor Barry Sullivan. Christiaan and Justin attended...
". The couple split after 22 years.
Serious composer
Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, Webb's songs continued to be recorded by some of the industry's most successful artists. In 1977, the initial release of Art GarfunkelArt Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
's Watermark
Watermark (Art Garfunkel album)
Watermark is the third solo album by Art Garfunkel, originally released in October 1977 on Columbia Records. When the first single, "Crying in My Sleep", failed to chart in the United States, the album was immediately withdrawn and a version of " Wonderful World" was added to the...
album consisted exclusively of Webb's works, and in 1981, Garfunkel recorded "Scissors Cut", "In Cars", and "That's All I've Got to Say" on his album Scissors Cut. In 1980, Thelma Houston recorded "Before There Could Be Me", "Breakwater Cat", "Gone", "Long Lasting Love", and "What Was that Song" on her album Breakwater Cat
Breakwater Cat
Breakwater Cat is the tenth album by Thelma Houston and was released in 1980 on RCA Records. The 12" released of "Suspicious Minds" became a popular club hit.- Track listing :# "Suspicious Minds"# "Down The Backstairs of My Life"# "Understand Your Man"...
. Leah Kunkel recorded "Never Gonna Lose My Dream of Love Again" and "Let's Begin" for her album I Run with Trouble. The latter was performed live in 1980 by the born-again Bob Dylan. Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
recorded "Tennessee Woman" on her album Dreamlovers. Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
recorded "Oklahoma Nights" on his album Power of Love. In 1982, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
recorded "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" and "Easy for You to Say" on her album Get Closer
Get Closer
Get Closer is a Gold-plus, Grammy-nominated album by singer/songwriter/producer Linda Ronstadt. It arrived two and a half years after Ronstadt's controversial Punk Rock Mad Love album...
. Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
recorded "Just Like Always" on his album Sheffield Steel
Sheffield Steel
For the University Newspaper published under the same name; see The Steel PressSheffield Steel is the eighth studio album by Joe Cocker, released in 1982...
. The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
recorded "She Never Smiles Anymore" on the album Living Legends.
From 1982 to 1992, Webb turned his focus from solo performing to larger-scale projects, such as film scores, Broadway musicals, and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. In 1982, he produced the soundtrack for the film The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn (film)
The Last Unicorn is a 1982 fantasy film produced by Rankin/Bass for ITC Entertainment and animated by Topcraft. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Peter S. Beagle, who also wrote the film's screenplay...
, an animated children's tale, with the musical group America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
performing Webb's songs. That same year, he composed the soundtrack to all episodes of the TV series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV series)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is an American musical television series loosely based on the film, which ran on CBS from September 19, 1982 to March 23, 1983.-Synopsis:...
.
In 1985, Glen Campbell recorded Webb's "Cowboy Hall of Fame" and "Shattered" for the album It's Just a Matter of Time. And heavyweights Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, and Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
recorded "Highwayman
Highwayman (song)
"Highwayman" is the title of a song written by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, about a soul with incarnations in four different places in time and history, a highwayman, a sailor, a construction worker on the Hoover Dam, and finally as a star ship captain....
" on the album Highwayman. In 1988, Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
recorded "Home of the Brave" on the album The Seventh One
The Seventh One
The Seventh One is Toto's seventh studio album. It was released in 1988, and became the best-received Toto album since Toto IV. This is the second and last album to feature Joseph Williams on lead vocals. He was fired after the Seventh One world tour due to loss of voice attributed to drug abuse....
. Kenny Rankin
Kenny Rankin
Kenny Rankin was an American pop and jazz singer and songwriter, originally from the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, New York.-Biography:...
recorded "She Moves, Eyes Follow" for the album Hiding in Myself. And in 1989, Linda Ronstadt recorded the album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind is a Grammy award winning, Triple Platinum-certified 1989 album by American singer/songwriter/producer Linda Ronstadt featuring American soul singer Aaron Neville. This album was taken out of print in 2009—twenty years after release.-History:The album is a...
, which featured four Jimmy Webb songs: "Still Within the Sound of My Voice" (with Webb playing piano), "Adios" (with orchestral arrangement by Webb), "I Keep It Hid" (with Webb playing piano), and "Shattered". In 1990, John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
recorded "Postcard from Paris" on the album The Flower That Shattered the Stone. In 1991, Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
recorded "They Just Don't Make Em Like You Anymore" on the album Back Home Again
Back Home Again (Kenny Rogers album)
Back Home Again is a 1991 album by country music superstar Kenny Rogers.- Overview :Back Home Again marks the last of Rogers' albums with Reprise, and marks the beginning of Rogers' movement between various labels, including his own future upcoming label, Dreamcatcher Records, in years to come.Of...
.
In 1986, Webb produced the cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
The Animals' Christmas, with Art Garfunkel, Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, and the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, which tells the Christmas story
Nativity of Jesus
The Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....
from the perspective of animals.
In 1987, Webb produced the soundtrack for the film The Hanoi Hilton
The Hanoi Hilton (film)
The Hanoi Hilton is a 1987 Vietnam War film which focuses on the experiences of American prisoners of war who were held in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi during the 1960s and 1970s and the story is told from their perspectives...
. That same year, he reunited with Campbell for the album Still Within the Sound of My Voice, for which he wrote the title song. They followed this up in 1988 with an album composed almost entirely of Jimmy Webb songs, Light Years. The album included the title song, as well as "Lightning in a Bottle", "If These Walls Could Speak" (which was recorded by Amy Grant that year) and "Our Movie". Two songs from 1982's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers also appear on the album. The record also included the songs "Other People's Lives", "Wasn't There A Moment", "I Don't Know How To Love You Anymore", and "Is There Love After You". Several of these songs later ended up on Webb solo albums.
In 1992, Webb completed a musical called Instant Intimacy, which he developed with the Tennessee Repertory Theatre. The musical contained new songs that he and others would later record, including "What Does a Woman See in a Man", "I Don't Know How to Love You Anymore", and "Is There Love After You". That same year, Webb performed live at the club Cinegrill, performing "What Does a Woman See in a Man" and introducing several additional new songs, including "Sandy Cove" and an old folk hymn, "I Will Arise".
In 1994, Webb teamed up with Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
to contribute the song "If These Old Walls Could Speak" to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country was the follow-up to No Alternative in the Red Hot Series of compilation albums, a series produced to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
Solo artist
Since 1993, Jimmy Webb produced four critically acclaimed solo albums: Suspending DisbeliefSuspending Disbelief
Suspending Disbelief is the eighth album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1993.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicated# "Too Young to Die"# "I Don't Know How to Love You Anymore"# "Elvis and Me"...
(1993), Ten Easy Pieces
Ten Easy Pieces
Ten Easy Pieces is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's ninth album, released in 1996. It consists of re-recorded versions of Webb's own compositions.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb# "Galveston"# "Highwayman"# "Wichita Lineman"...
(1996), Twilight of the Renegades
Twilight of the Renegades
Twilight of the Renegades is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's tenth album, released in 2005.- Track listing :# "Paul Gauguin in the South Seas"# "Skywriter"# "Why Do I Have To..."# "Class Clown"# "Spanish Radio"# "Time Flies"# "How Quickly"...
(2005), and Just Across the River
Just Across the River
Just Across The River is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's twelfth album, released in 2010.-Track listing:# "Oklahoma Nights" 3:24# "Wichita Lineman" 4:15...
(2010). He has continued to expand his creative landscape to include musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
jingles
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
, and film scores
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
. More recently, he has written music for television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, including the show E/R
E/R
E/R is an American television sitcom that aired in 1984 and 1985. Developed from a successful play of the same name, the series was produced by Embassy Television and lasted a single season.-Synopsis:...
.
In 1998, Webb completed his first book, Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting, which was published by Hyperion Books. It was well received by songwriters and performers and became a best-seller. One book reviewer described it as "a companion every serious songwriter should read, and read again, and keep handy for referral."
In the 2000s, Webb has talked more openly about his return to the Christian faith of his upbringing and the role it has played in his music. In addition to his cantata, The Animals' Christmas, he has always included religious songs in his albums—"Psalm One-Five-O", "Jerusalem", and "I Will Arise" are a few examples—and his lyrics have included biblical verses and allusions. In an October 2007 interview with Nigel Bovey, editor of The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
newspaper The War Cry
War Cry (Salvation Army newspaper)
The War Cry is the official news publication of the Salvation Army.-History:The first edition of The War Cry was printed on December 27, 1879 in London, England....
, Webb was quite explicit about his renewed faith.
Webb has stated, "I am a strong believer in God... God is important to me. God is bigger than any one particular denomination. I don't like it when people try to confine Him. I don't put any limits on God." Webb reads the King James Version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
.
In 2004, Webb married Laura Savini, who appears nationally on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in pledge-drive programs. From 1996–2011, Savini was Vice President of Marketing and Communications at WLIW
WLIW
WLIW, channel 21, is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Garden City, New York; which serves as a secondary Public Broadcasting Service member station for the New York City television market...
, a PBS station in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The couple first met backstage on New Year's Eve 1999 at Billy Joel's
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert is a two-disc set and the third live album by Billy Joel, released in 2000.The album was recorded on New Year's Eve 1999 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during Joel's The Night of Two Thousand Years Tour...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. They met again when Savini interviewed Webb for her local television show and the two soon started dating. They settled on the North Shore of Long Island.
In 2007, he released a live album of his show, Live and at Large
Live and at Large
Live and at Large is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's eleventh album, released in 2007.- Track listing :All songs composed by Jimmy Webb.# "Paul Gauguin in the South Seas"# "No Signs of Age"...
(2007), which was recorded in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The album includes personal stories and anecdotes about Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
, Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, and Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
.
In June 2010, Webb released Just Across the River
Just Across the River
Just Across The River is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's twelfth album, released in 2010.-Track listing:# "Oklahoma Nights" 3:24# "Wichita Lineman" 4:15...
, an album of newly-arranged Webb classics that features guest appearances by Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Glenn Campbell
Glenn Campbell
Glen Campbell may refer to:People:* Glen Campbell , American musician -- country, active in US* Glenn Ross Campbell , American musician -- rock, active in UK* Glenn Campbell , Scottish journalist...
, Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald may refer to:*Michael McDonald , American "blue-eyed soul" singer*Michael McDonald , American actor-comedian*Michael McDonald , Jamaican runner...
, Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
, J. D. Souther
J. D. Souther
John David Souther is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written numerous hits songs recorded by artists such as Linda Ronstadt and Glenn Frey of the Eagles.-Singing career:...
, and Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
.
In 2011, Webb was unanimously elected Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
, replacing Hal David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
who retired after ten years in that position.
Today Jimmy Webb is considered among the finest songwriters of his generation, and is frequently compared to legendary songsmiths George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
, Barry Mann
Barry Mann
Barry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
, and Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, whom Webb credits as one of his strongest musical influences. Webb continues to record and perform in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and abroad.
Honors and awards
- 1967 Grammy Award for Song of the YearGrammy Award for Song of the YearThe Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
(for "Up, Up, and Away") - 1969 Oklahoma Baptist UniversityOklahoma Baptist UniversityOklahoma Baptist University is a co-educational Christian liberal arts university located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and owned by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Established in 1910, OBU is ranked No.2 among baccalaureate colleges in the western region in the 2010 U.S...
Phi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
honorary membership, Pi Tau Chapter - 1986 National Academy of Popular MusicNational Academy of Popular MusicThe National Academy of Popular Music is an American organization which administers the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and sponsors a series of workshops and showcases for the songwriting profession. It was formed in 1988 by Sammy Cahn and Bob Leone....
Songwriter's Hall of Fame inductee - 1990 Nashville Songwriters Hall of FameNashville Songwriters Hall of FameThe Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with music community in the city of...
inductee - 1993 National Academy of SongwritersNational Academy of SongwritersThe National Academy of Songwriters, originally "Songwriters Resources and Services" was a music industry association which provided a support network for songwriters, and gave out awards in various categories. It was founded by Helen King, who was working as a secretarial/answering service for the...
Lifetime Achievement Award - 1999 Oklahoma Hall of FameOklahoma Hall of FameThe Oklahoma Hall of Fame was established in 1927 by Anna B. Korn. To be eligible for induction, an individual must satisfy the following criteria:* Reside in Oklahoma or be a former resident of the state....
inductee - 1999 ASCAP Board of Directors member
- 2000 Songwriters Hall of FameSongwriters Hall of FameThe Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
Board of Directors member - 2003 Songwriters Hall of Fame Johnny Mercer Award
- 2006 ASCAP "Voice of Music" Award
Discography
Original albums- Jim Webb sings Jim Webb (1968)
- Words and MusicWords and Music (Jimmy Webb album)Words and Music is Jimmy Webb's second album, and his first legitimate album.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicated#"Sleepin' In The Daytime"#"P.F...
(1970) - And So: OnAnd So: OnAnd So: On is the third album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1971.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb# "Met Her on a Plane"# "All Night Show"# "All My Love's Laughter"# "Highpockets"# "Marionette"# "Laspitch"...
(1971) - LettersLetters (Jimmy Webb album)Letters is the fourth album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1972.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicated# "Galveston"# "Campo de Encino"# "Love Hurts" # "Simile"# "Hurt Me Well"...
(1972) - Land's EndLand's End (Jimmy Webb album)Land's End is the fifth album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1974.- Track listing :# "Ocean In His Eyes"# "Feet in the Sunshine"# "Cloudman"# "Lady Fits Her Blue Jeans"# "Just This One Time"# "Crying In My Sleep"# "It's A Sin"...
(1974) - El MirageEl Mirage (Jimmy Webb album)El Mirage is Jimmy Webb's sixth album. Released by Atlantic Records in 1977, it was the first album for which Webb handed production and arrangement duties on to another person, George Martin, producer of The Beatles....
(1977) - Angel HeartAngel Heart (Jimmy Webb album)Angel Heart is the seventh album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1982.-Track listing:All songs written by Jimmy Webb except "One of the Few" which was written by John Cooper# "Angel Heart"# "God's Gift"# "One of the Few"...
(1982) - Suspending DisbeliefSuspending DisbeliefSuspending Disbelief is the eighth album by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1993.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicated# "Too Young to Die"# "I Don't Know How to Love You Anymore"# "Elvis and Me"...
(1993) - Ten Easy PiecesTen Easy PiecesTen Easy Pieces is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's ninth album, released in 1996. It consists of re-recorded versions of Webb's own compositions.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb# "Galveston"# "Highwayman"# "Wichita Lineman"...
(1996) - Twilight of the RenegadesTwilight of the RenegadesTwilight of the Renegades is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's tenth album, released in 2005.- Track listing :# "Paul Gauguin in the South Seas"# "Skywriter"# "Why Do I Have To..."# "Class Clown"# "Spanish Radio"# "Time Flies"# "How Quickly"...
(2005) - Live and at LargeLive and at LargeLive and at Large is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's eleventh album, released in 2007.- Track listing :All songs composed by Jimmy Webb.# "Paul Gauguin in the South Seas"# "No Signs of Age"...
(2007) - Just Across the RiverJust Across the RiverJust Across The River is American songwriter Jimmy Webb's twelfth album, released in 2010.-Track listing:# "Oklahoma Nights" 3:24# "Wichita Lineman" 4:15...
(2010)
Albums of Jimmy Webb songs
- Up, Up, and Away (1966) by The 5th Dimension
- The Magic GardenThe Magic GardenThe Magic Garden is the second album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1967 .-Track listing:All songs written by Jimmy Webb, except where noted#"Prologue" – 1:24#"The Magic Garden" – 2:48...
(1967) by The 5th Dimension - A Tramp ShiningA Tramp ShiningA Tramp Shining is an album by Richard Harris, released in 1968. Harris teamed with singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb for this album. Although Harris sang many numbers on the soundtrack album to the film musical Camelot in the previous year, A Tramp Shining became his first solo album. Jimmy Webb wrote...
(1968) by Richard HarrisRichard HarrisRichard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer.... - The Yard Went On ForeverThe Yard Went On ForeverThe Yard Went On Forever is an album by Richard Harris released in 1968. The songs were written, arranged, and produced by Jimmy Webb. The album was released by Dunhill Records .-Critical reception:...
(1968) by Richard Harris - SunshowerSunshower (Thelma Houston album)Sunshower is the debut album of Thelma Houston released in 1969 on Dunhill Records. It was produced by Jimmy Webb and became a critically acclaimed album, it charted at #50 on the Billboard R&B charts....
(1969) by Thelma HoustonThelma HoustonThelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother... - The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy WebbThe Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy WebbThe Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb is a 1972 album released by The Supremes on the Motown label. The album was the only Supremes LP produced by a non-Motown producer, successful songwriter and producer Jimmy Webb, and was the last album to feature early-1970s Supremes lead singer...
(1972) by The SupremesThe SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco... - Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy WebbReunion: The Songs of Jimmy WebbReunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb is the 27th album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1974 .-Track listing:All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicatedSide 1:...
(1974) by Glen CampbellGlen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show... - WatermarkWatermark (Art Garfunkel album)Watermark is the third solo album by Art Garfunkel, originally released in October 1977 on Columbia Records. When the first single, "Crying in My Sleep", failed to chart in the United States, the album was immediately withdrawn and a version of " Wonderful World" was added to the...
(1977) by Art GarfunkelArt GarfunkelArthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel... - The Animals' ChristmasThe Animals' ChristmasThe Animals' Christmas is the sixth solo album by vocalist Art Garfunkel. It is a Christmas-themed album which also has Garfunkel teamed with Amy Grant...
(1986) by Art Garfunkel and Amy GrantAmy GrantAmy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"... - Still within the Sound of My VoiceStill within the Sound of My VoiceStill Within the Sound of My Voice is the 43rd album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1987 .-Track listing:Side 1:# "I'm a One-Woman Man" - 2:31...
(1989) by Glen Campbell - Light YearsLight Years (Glen Campbell album)Light Years is the 44th album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1988 .-Track listing:All tracks composed by Jimmy Webb; except where indicatedSide 1:# "Lightning In A Bottle" - 4:03...
(1988) by Glen Campbell - Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the WindCry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the WindCry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind is a Grammy award winning, Triple Platinum-certified 1989 album by American singer/songwriter/producer Linda Ronstadt featuring American soul singer Aaron Neville. This album was taken out of print in 2009—twenty years after release.-History:The album is a...
(1989) by Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden... - The Last UnicornThe Last Unicorn (film)The Last Unicorn is a 1982 fantasy film produced by Rankin/Bass for ITC Entertainment and animated by Topcraft. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Peter S. Beagle, who also wrote the film's screenplay...
(1998) - And Someone Left the Cake Out in the Rain... (1998)
- Reunited with Jimmy Webb 1974-1988Reunited with Jimmy Webb 1974-1988Reunited with Jimmy Webb 1974-1988 contains the complete Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb album together with Jimmy Webb songs from later albums up until Light Years .-Track listing:# "Roll Me Easy" - 2:41...
(1999) by Glen Campbell - Tunesmith: The Songs of Jimmy Webb (2003)
- Only One Life: The Songs of Jimmy WebbOnly One Life: The Songs of Jimmy WebbOnly One Life: The Songs of Jimmy Webb is a 2003 studio album by Michael Feinstein, recorded in tribute to the songwriter Jimmy Webb. -Track listing:# "After All the Loves of My Life"/"Only One Life" – 7:01# "Didn't We" – 4:21...
(2003) by Michael FeinsteinMichael FeinsteinMichael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs... - Cottonwood Farm (2009) by Jimmy Webb and The Webb BrothersThe Webb BrothersThe Webb Brothers are a rock band from Chicago, Illinois, who formed in 1998.-History:The Webb Brothers are Christiaan, Justin and James Webb, sons of the songwriter Jimmy Webb and Patsy Sullivan, a cover girl and top model. They are grandsons of actor Barry Sullivan. Christiaan and Justin attended...
Compilation albums
- Tribute to Burt Bacharach and Jim Webb (1972)
- Archive (1994)
- The Moon's A Harsh Mistress: Jimmy Webb in the Seventies (2004) (a limited edition boxed setBoxed setA box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...
, including Live at the Royal Albert Hall from 1972) - Archive & Live (2005) (including Live at the Royal Albert Hall from 1972)
Songs
- Jimmy Webb discography