Sunday, August 15, 2010

August 15: Songwriter extraordinaire Jimmy Layne Webb is 64 today.

Macarthur Park Sings the Songs of Jimmy WebbUp-Up And Away: The Definitive Collection

Born in Elk City, Oklahoma when he was in his 20s he wrote "Up, Up and Away" (The Fifth Dimension), "By the Time I get to Phoenix " and "Galveston" (Glen Campbell) and "MacArthur Park" (Richard Harris) His songs have also been recorded or performed by, Thelma Houston, The Supremes, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes, R.E.M., and Chet Atkins, among others.


According to Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was the third most performed song in the fifty years between 1940 to 1990. Webb is the only artist to have ever received Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration.

Other Jimmy Webb Compositions:
-- "Paper Cup" The Fifth Dimension
-- "Witchita Lineman" Glen Campbell
-- "If You Must Leave My Life" Richard Harris
-- "Didn't We Girl"  Richard Harris
-- "The Worst That Could Happen" Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge

Jimmy Webb Interview on National Public Radio (NPR) (Originally broadcast on Feb. 10, 2004)


Official Jimmy Webb Website

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