The friendship between Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell is one of the most beautiful chapters in American music. Webb wrote “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” and Campbell made them immortal. But behind the hits was a quiet phone call—almost a farewell.
In 2011, Glen was battling Alzheimer’s. Memory faded, but to Jimmy, he was still the same friend. One late evening, Jimmy called. Glen’s voice was slow, sometimes confused, but his laugh still shone like it always did.
They spoke of long highways, of sessions where a glance said it all. Then Glen paused. “You still playing piano, Jim?”
Jimmy said: “I am. And I’m still writing for you.”
Glen chuckled: “Good. Make it slow this time.”
That night, Jimmy sat at the piano. He didn’t write a new song—he reshaped Adiós. Lower key, softer rhythm, pauses where listeners could breathe with Glen’s voice. When Campbell recorded it, Adiós was no longer just a song. It was a letter in music, closing a friendship of fifty years.