Jimmy Webb
Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 7:30 PM at Bull Run
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer and singer known worldwide as a master of his trade. His timeless hits continue to be performed and recorded by the industry’s biggest names, and his new compositions span the musical spectrum from classical to pop. This past year saw his “Wichita Lineman” on the set list in three major artist tours – Guns N’ Roses, Little Big Town and Toby Keith – and used prominently in an episode of the Netflix series “Ozark.” Not many artists can say they premiered a classical nocturne and had a rap hit with Kanye West (“Do What You Gotta Do” a central hook in “Famous”) in the same year, but Jimmy’s career is full of surprises. Since his first platinum record “The Worst That Could Happen,” Webb has had numerous hits including “Up, Up and Away,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman, “Galveston,” “Highwayman,” “All I Know” and “MacArthur Park,” and has also become a leader and mentor in the industry as a champion for songwriters.
Webb is the only artist ever to have received Grammy Awards for music, lyrics and orchestration. His numerous accolades include the prestigious Ivor Novella International Award (2012) and the Academy of Country Music’s Poet Award (2016). In 2016 Rolling Stone magazine listed Webb as one of the top 50 songwriters of all time. Jimmy Webb was the youngest member ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and served as its Chairman. He has also served proudly as the Vice Chair of ASCAP. Time and again Webb has paved the way for songwriters in an ever-changing media landscape, spearheading the ongoing effort to preserve the rights of songwriters and their intellectual property in the digital age.
Webb is an international touring artist, averaging 50 shows a year. He is a member of the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriter's Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame and in 1993 The National Academy of Songwriters named Jimmy as the recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jimmy was trained in the sacred space of Motown and had his first commercial recordings there. Though best known for the instant classics he provided for such artists as Glen Campbell ("By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "Where's The Playground, Susie"), Richard Harris ("MacArthur Park," "Didn't We"), The Fifth Dimension ("Up, Up and Away," "This Is Your Life"), The Brooklyn Bridge ("Worst That Could Happen"), Art Garfunkel ("All I Know"), Linda Ronstadt ("Easy For You To Say") and on and on. And his songs continue to grace a multitude of major recording artists' albums, from Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney, to Urge Overkill, Reba McEntire, and Shawn Colvin.