Jimmy Webb
Composer | 2018From classical to pop, the timeless hits of Jimmy Webb—American songwriter, composer and singer—continue to be performed and recorded by the industry’s biggest names. Not many artists can say they had a classical nocturne and a rap hit with Kanye West (“Do What You Gotta Do” a central hook in “Famous”) in the same year, but Webb’s career has been full of surprises. Since his first platinum record, the 5th Dimension’s “The Worst That Could Happen,” Webb has had a string of hits including “Up, Up and Away,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “Highwayman,” “All I Know” and Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park,” and he 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), and he was the youngest person ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, for which he served as chairman. Webb, a longtime Long Island resident, continues to write and record, and has released 10 solo albums since the 1970s, while also writing for other artists.