‘Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter’ to Air on PBS’s ‘Great Performances’: Full Song List

PBS’ long-running Great Performances series has presented scores of programs over the past 50 years, most of which lived up to that title. On Oct. 30, it will air one that definitely does: Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter.  In this concert, which was recorded in February, Jimmy Webb takes center stage to perform such classics as “Wichita Lineman,” “Highwayman,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston” and “MacArthur Park.”

Webb is joined by guest artists Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Ashley Campbell (Glen Campbell’s daughter), Sheléa and Ryan Shaw, all of whom perform and offer commentary. Glen Campbell and Webb formed one of the finest artist/songwriter teams in history, with such hits as “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “Where’s the Playground Susie” and “Honey Come Back.”

The program also features archival clips of Webb’s hits sung by the original artists: Campbell, The 5th Dimension and Richard Harris and a notable cover version by Donna Summer, who took a disco version of “MacArthur Park” to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.

Webb had a tremendous run of classic hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968, at just 21, Webb won the Grammy for song of the year for the effervescent “Up, Up and Away.” He was the youngest winner in that category until Alicia Keys won in 2002 for “Fallin.’” Webb was also a nominee at the 1968 ceremony for the sublime “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” He is, to this day, the youngest person ever to receive two song of the year nominations in the same year.

Webb went on to win two additional Grammys – best arrangement accompanying vocalists for Harris’ original version of “MacArthur Park” (which reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 1968) and best country song for “Highwayman,” which was recorded by the Highwaymen, which featured Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. Their version of the song went to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs in 1985.

Webb was not yet 40 when he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986. (To be exact, he was 39 years, six months and 17 days.) Only two songwriters in SHOF history have been younger upon induction: Stevie Wonder (32 years, nine months and 23 days upon his induction in 1983) and Taylor Swift (36 years, five months and 30 days upon her induction in 2026). Webb went on to receive the SHOF’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 2003.

Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” (though inexplicably not Grammy-nominated in a songwriting category) is widely regarded as one of the best pop songs ever written. If there’s a better lyric than “I need you more than want you/ And I want you for all time,” I’d like to hear it.

Great Performances – Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter premieres on Friday, Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on PBS, pbs.org/gperf and the PBS app. The program is a production of John Paulson Productions. It is executive produced by John Paulson and Karen Sherry Dolan and produced by Carol Stein and Philip W. Hack. Directed by Gary Menotti. For Great Performances, Bill Kabel is producer, Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer. 

Here’s a complete list of songs to be featured in the program:

• “Up, Up and Away” – Jimmy Webb
• “The Worst That Could Happen” – Ryan Shaw
• “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress” – Ryan Shaw
• “All I Know” – Ashley Campbell
• “Shattered” – Sheléa
• “Still Within the Sound of My Voice” – Ryan Shaw, Sheléa
• “If These Walls Could Speak” – Lyle Lovett
• “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” – Vince Gill
• “Galveston” – Lyle Lovett
• “Wichita Lineman” – Vince Gill
• “The Highwayman” – Jimmy Webb, Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill and Ashley Campbell
• “Didn’t We” – Jimmy Webb
• “MacArthur Park” – Sheléa
• “Adios” – Jimmy Webb and Ashley Campbell
• “If You See Me Getting Smaller, I’m Leaving” – Jimmy Webb