Jimmy Webb on Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra and L.A. in the ’70s

Los Angeles Times · Mikael Wood · 2026-11-02 20:04 UTC

The Grammy-winning songwriter has a new PBS special and an album of old tunes he describes as his 'problem children.'

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“By the way, can I get you something to drink?” Jimmy Webb asks, rising slowly from his chair. “Would you like to wet your whistle?” The 80-year-old songwriter and I have been talking for a while on a recent afternoon about some of the many, many renditions of his song “Wichita Lineman,” and as he rhapsodizes about the sexy-sinister version Flea and Nick Cave just released, Webb moseys over to the kitchen of his friend’s Westwood apartment and pulls an O’Doul’s out of the fridge to match his own.

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