At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Jimmy Webb’s recent performance felt less like a concert and more like a masterclass from one of American music’s most enduring songwriters—a figure whose work has quietly shaped generations of artists across pop, country, and beyond.
Seated at the piano, Webb captivated the audience by performing a selection of his timeless songs. As he played, he shared rich anecdotes about the origins of each piece, delving into some of the creative processes behind them. Highlighting the iconic artists who brought these songs to life, Webb detailed the indelible mark they left on his work. This blend of performance and storytelling created an intimate atmosphere, allowing the audience to connect deeply with both the music and its history.
A longstanding member of ASCAP’s board of directors, Webb emphasized the significance of music by stating, “The fact of the matter is that the song is the beginning of everything.” His passionate declaration, “I am on the side of the songwriter,” resonated strongly with the audience, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd.
That ethos—placing the songwriter at the center—has defined Webb’s career as much as his melodies. Beyond his hits, he has been a longtime advocate for songwriters’ rights, serving in leadership roles within the Songwriters Hall of Fame and working to protect creative ownership in a changing industry.
Since emerging in the late 1960s as a prodigy—winning a songwriting Grammy for “Up, Up and Away” at just 21—Webb has long occupied a rare space in American music: a songwriter’s songwriter. His catalog includes classics like “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” and “MacArthur Park,” works that blurred the boundaries between pop sophistication and emotional directness. Over the decades, his songs have been recorded by an astonishing range of artists, from Glen Campbell to Barbra Streisand and, notably, Frank Sinatra.
Webb spoke not only as a composer whose work had been interpreted by the legendary singer, but as an observer of Sinatra’s deep respect for the craft itself. That connection to Sinatra formed one of the emotional through-lines of the evening.
“He was not the sort of thug you read about, like in Kitty Carlisle’s book for instance,” Webb recalled. He added that Sinatra loved having songwriters around and that he “really gave credit to the songwriters for powering the entertainment industry, which a lot of people either don’t know or don’t care about,” speaking with clear fondness for him.
Sinatra recorded Webb’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Didn’t We?,” and famously praised the former as one of the greatest torch songs ever written—an endorsement reported by the media that helped cement Webb’s reputation at the highest levels of the industry.
“I was there when he said it, and what he said was it was the greatest saloon song ever written,” recalled Webb, who praised Sinatra at the event as “a true gentleman responsible for curating and protecting the great American songbook.”
Sinatra publicly championed Webb as “a wonderful young songwriter” during concerts and valued the emotional depth of his ballads. At the HOF, Webb hailed Sinatra as a “gentle soul who genuinely appreciated songwriters” and a true gentleman responsible for curating and protecting the great American songbook.
Onstage at the CMA Theater for the first time, those decades of experience translated into performances that felt lived-in rather than nostalgic. Webb’s piano playing retained its architectural clarity, his voice weathered but expressive, carrying the emotional weight of songs that have outlived the eras that produced them. Between numbers, he offered glimpses into the craftsmanship behind the music — reminding the audience that these songs were not accidents, but carefully built works.
In a city synonymous with songwriting, Webb’s appearance underscored a deeper lineage: one that runs from the Brill Building to Bakersfield, from Tin Pan Alley to the modern Nashville hit factory. And in recalling Sinatra—not as myth, but as a working artist who valued the people behind the songs—Webb quietly reframed the narrative of American popular music itself.
Emphasizing how music permeates our daily lives in many different ways, Webb also shared a sobering reality for songwriters, highlighting their often precarious position in the music industry.
“We have to get used to the idea that financially speaking and politically speaking we’re at the bottom of the pyramid,” Webb lamented. “We’re the last guy to get paid, we’re the last to know when record companies are making their big deals with digital giants.”
During his performance, Webb noted the exhilarating unpredictability of songwriting.
“Writing songs is just a roller coaster ride through life, but one I wouldn’t trade for anything,” he said, encapsulating the essence of a songwriter’s journey. “To me, the act of creativity and the unpredictability of life itself is really the zest—it makes it interesting.”
Opening with with and reminisced about his iconic song “The Highwaymen,” Webb recalled memories of legendary artists and friends Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, who famously recorded it as the supergroup “The Highwaymen.”
Webb said he originally presented the song to Beatles’ producer George Martin, but after hearing it Glen Campbell, wanted to record it. The incident led to a disagreement between Campbell and Capitol Records. Webb noted, Capitol wanted Campbell to cut ‘My Sharona,’ and he didn’t like the idea. Ultimately, Webb said the creative conflict over “The Highwaymen” was a significant factor in Campbell’s departure from Capitol Records ater 12 years with the label. He gave credit to Carl Jackson and Marty Stuart for being instrumental in helping get the song to The Highwaymen.
The songwriter recalled a memorablemoment with Glen Campbell while exiting the stage after winning the Best Song Grammy for “Up, Up, And Away” in 1968. “As I came by him he reached out and touched me and that was the first time I had ever reached out and touched my idol.” Webb called Campbell his “cause celeb” and the guy he wanted to write songs for. Campbell would go on to record 90 of Webb’s songs through his career.
“I swore after Glen died that as long as I could play the piano that nobody would forget Glen or his songs,” Webb promised the audience.
He honored his friendships with Don Schlitz, Campbell, and Sinatra with a rendition of “By The Time I Get to Phoenix,” and expressed his fondness of Schlitz who died just a few days before. “I’m pretty shook up about it to tell you the truth.”
During his time in Las Vegas Webb said he became friends with artists such Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Liza Minelli, Eddie Fischer, Jack Jones, and Elvis. Webb said Elvis would listen to Campbell’s albums for hours and that he and Campbell were “pretty tight.”
“Hearing Elvis do MacArther Park would have been something for the ages,” he said.
Now 80, Jimmy Webb reflected on the passage of time, acknowledging his age while expressing that he still feels like he’s 14 at heart. “And I’m going to stay this way as long as I can,” he said, radiating an enthusiasm that belies his years.
This September, Sun Records will release “Yours For The Taking: The Found Songs of Jimmy Webb,” showcasing some of his hidden treasures. The album features songs he says have been unfairly overlooked over the years — both by himself and others.
“I’m not going to go gently without playing these songs,” he declared, emphasizing his commitment to revisiting his past work. “I just have to say, I’m very proud of the material.”
Among the soon-to-be released songs is “Winter Clothes,” which he originally penned for Sinatra but never recorded. At the show, he performed it publicly for the first time, sharing, “I can hear (Frank) doing it, and I know it would have been fabulous.”
The son of a Marine Corps veteran who spent 37 months serving in the South Pacific during World War II, Webb gave a shout out to veterans during the show. “Personally, I like veterans a lot,” he said.
After the final notes of his encore rendition on “MacArthur Park” faded, Webb stood on stage and acknowledged the crowd. In an industry that often overlooks its foundation, Webb’s evening at the Country Music Hall of Fame served as both celebration and reminder: that behind every iconic voice, every chart-topping record, and every generation-defining moment stands the songwriter—the architect of emotion and memory.
From the dusty Oklahoma churches of his youth to the brightest stages alongside Sinatra, Campbell, and countless others, Webb has never wavered in his devotion to the craft. On this night, he left the Nashville audience not only entertained but quietly inspired, reaffirming that the song truly is the beginning of everything—and that its greatest practitioners, like Jimmy Webb, remain its most eloquent and passionate defenders.
In photo: Jimmy Webb performs at the CMA Theater located at the Country Music Hall of Fame, April 24, 2026.
Story by Rich Jacques
Rich Jacques is an award-winning journalist who holds a B.A. in journalism from Texas Tech University. He’s a former U.S. Marine, and a Nashville-based working musician and show producer.
Email: richjacques3@gmail.com
