Jimmy Webb, songwriter of classic songs “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “MacArthur Park," and many more, offers stories and performances in a wide-ranging retrospective of his career as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Poets and Prophets” interview series, bringing to life the music and songs that have earned him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters.

As a fourteen-year-old, Webb prayed that he could write songs for Glen Campbell to perform, a prayer that was answered years later when Campbell recorded “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” The only person to receive Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration, Webb is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Webb opens the program performing “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” then sings the opening verse of Johnny Rivers’ “Poor Side of Town” describing how Rivers offered the song to Campbell. A video clip of Campbell and Webb performing “Galveston” is followed by Webb playing “Wichita Lineman.” Webb illustrates the development of his style with “Amazing Grace” and “Someone Else,” the first song he wrote. A stunning video clip of Waylon Jennings singing “MacArthur Park” leads to Webb singing “If You See Me Getting Smaller I’m Leaving,” a song inspired by a Jennings remark. He describes how a dream led to “The Highwayman” and performs the song. Between songs, Webb tells stories of his career. He closes the program with a final tribute to Campbell, playing “Adios,” a song he wrote with Linda Ronstadt.

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