PBS Great Performances to Air Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter with Full Song List

PBS series Great Performances will air Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter on Oct. 30. Recorded in February, the concert features Jimmy Webb performing classics including “Wichita Lineman,” “Highwayman,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston” and “MacArthur Park.”

Guest artists Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Ashley Campbell, Sheléa and Ryan Shaw join Webb to perform and offer commentary. Glen Campbell and Webb previously formed an artist and songwriter team responsible for hits such as “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “Where’s the Playground Susie” and “Honey Come Back.” Ashley Campbell is Glen Campbell’s daughter.

The program also includes archival clips of Webb’s hits performed by original artists Campbell, The 5th Dimension and Richard Harris, alongside a cover of “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.

In 1968, Webb won the Grammy Award for song of the year at age 21 for “Up, Up and Away.” He remained the youngest winner in that category until Alicia Keys won in 2002 for “Fallin.’” Webb was also nominated at the 1968 ceremony for “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” making him the youngest person to receive two song of the year nominations in the same year.

Webb subsequently won two more 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.” The latter was recorded by the Highwaymen—comprising Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson—and reached No. 1 on Hot Country Songs in 1985.

Webb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 at 39 years, six months and 17 days old. Only Stevie Wonder, inducted in 1983 at age 32, and Taylor Swift, inducted in 2026 at age 36, were younger upon induction. Webb received the Songwriters Hall of Fame Johnny Mercer Award in 2003.

Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” is regarded as a pop composition, though it did not receive a Grammy nomination in a songwriting category.

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. John Paulson Productions produced the program, with John Paulson and Karen Sherry Dolan as executive producers, and Carol Stein and Philip W. Hack as producers. Gary Menotti directed the special. Bill Kabel is producer, Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer for Great Performances.

The program features the following songs: