Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson (May 18, 1902 – June 15, 1984) was an American flutist,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

, musical arranger,

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, and writer. He is perhaps best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the 1957 hit Broadway musical '' The Music Man'' and "

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is a Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson. The song was originally titled "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas". The song has been recorded by many artists, but was a hit for Perry Co ...

" (1951). Willson wrote three other Broadway musicals and composed symphonies and popular songs. He was twice nominated for Academy Awards for film scores.

Early life

Willson was born in Mason City, Iowa, to Rosalie Reiniger Willson and John David Willson. He had a brother two years his senior, John Cedrick, and a sister 12 years his senior, children's writer

Dixie Willson Dixie Lucile Reiniger Willson (30 July 1890 - 6 February 1974) was an American screenwriter, as well as an author of children's books, novels, and short stories. Life Willson was born in Estherville, Iowa to John David Willson, a lawyer, and ...

. Willson attended

Frank Damrosch Frank Heino Damrosch (June 22, 1859 – October 22, 1937) was a German-born American music conductor and educator. In 1905, Damrosch founded the New York Institute of Musical Art, a predecessor of the Juilliard School. Life and career Damrosch w ...

's Institute of Musical Art (which later became the Juilliard School) in New York City. He married his high-school sweetheart, Elizabeth "Peggy" Wilson, on August 29, 1920; they were married for 26 years.Meredith Willson Biography (1902–1984)
filmreference.com, accessed December 15, 2008 The young Willson became a

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

and

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

virtuoso, and was accomplished enough to become a member of John Philip Sousa's band (1921–1924) and later the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...

(1924–1929). He then moved to San Francisco, California, as the concert director for radio station KFRC, and then as a musical director for the NBC radio network in Hollywood. His on-air radio debut came on KFRC in 1928 on '' Blue Monday Jamboree''.

Hollywood

Willson's work in films included the score for

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

's ''

The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the onl ...

'' (1940) ( Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score), and arranging music for the score of William Wyler's '' The Little Foxes'' (1941) ( Academy Award nomination for Best Music Score of a Dramatic Picture). Meredith willson 1937edited

During World War II, Willson worked for the United States' Armed Forces Radio Service. His work with the

AFRS The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the U.S. military provides to those stationed or assigned overseas. Headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, AFN's broadcast operations, which i ...

teamed him with George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Bill Goodwin. He worked with all three as the bandleader, and a regular character, on the Burns and Allen radio program. He played a shy man always trying to get advice on women. His character was ditzy as well, basically a male version of Allen's. In 1942, Willson had his own program on NBC. ''Meredith Willson's Music'' was a summer replacement for '' Fibber McGee and Molly''. ''

Sparkle Time ''Sparkle Time'' was a musical radio program in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS October 4, 1946 - March 28, 1947. Background Meredith Willson was the orchestra leader on the '' George Burns and Gracie Allen'' radio program. He headed ' ...

'', which ran on CBS in 1946–47, was Willson's first full-season radio program. Returning to network radio after WWII, Willson created the Talking People, a choral group that spoke in unison while delivering radio commercials. In 1950 he became the musical director for '' The Big Show'', a 90-minute comedy-variety program hosted by actress Tallulah Bankhead and featuring some of the world's best-known entertainers. Willson became part of one of the show's very few running gags, beginning replies to Bankhead's comments or questions with "well, sir, Miss Bankhead". He wrote the song "

May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" is a popular song by Meredith Willson, originally published in 1950. The song is now considered a standard, recorded by many artists. It was used as Tallulah Bankhead's theme song for her NBC radio program, ...

" for the show. Bankhead spoke the lyrics over the music at the end of each show. He also worked on Jack Benny's radio program, and hosted his own program in 1949. For a few years in the early 1950s, Willson was a regular panelist on the

Goodson-Todman Fremantle (; formerly FremantleMedia) is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, acquired by predecessor company All American Television in ...

game show '' The Name's the Same''; he recalled later that he did the show for the steady Goodson-Todman salary, which he was saving toward his Broadway musical project. In 1950, Willson served as musical director for ''The California Story'', California's centennial production at the Hollywood Bowl. Working on this production, Willson met writer

Franklin Lacey Franklin Lacey (1917–1988) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for co-authoring the story for ''The Music Man'' (1957), together with collaborator Meredith Willson,Bloom, Ken and Vlastnik, Frank. ''Broadway Musicals: T ...

, who proved instrumental in developing the storyline for a musical Willson had been working on, soon to become ''The Music Man''. ''The California Story'' was followed by two more state centennial collaborations with stage director Vladimir Rosing: ''The Oregon Story'' in 1959 and ''The Kansas Story'' in 1961.

Broadway

Willson's most famous work, '' The Music Man'', premiered on Broadway in 1957, and was adapted twice for film (in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

and

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

). He called it "an Iowan's attempt to pay tribute to his home state". It took Willson eight years and 30 revisions to complete the musical, for which he wrote more than 40 songs. The show was a resounding success, running on Broadway for 1,375 performances over three and a half years. The cast recording won the first Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album (Broadway or TV). The show subsequently had a national tour and international productions. It was produced at New York City Center in 1980 with

Dick Van Dyke Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage. Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...

in the titular role and

Meg Bussert Meg Bussert (born October 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and a university professor. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois,Neil Simon Theatre with Craig Bierko as Harold Hill and Rebecca Luker as Marian. The production ran for 699 performances. A second Broadway revival premiered on February 10, 2022, at the Winter Garden Theatre, starring Hugh Jackman as Harold and Sutton Foster as Marian. In 1959, Willson and his second wife Ralina "Rini" Zarova recorded an album, ''... and Then I Wrote The Music Man'', in which they review the history of, and sing songs from, the show. In 2010, Brian d'Arcy James and Kelli O'Hara played Willson and Rini in an off-Broadway entertainment based on that album. Willson's second musical, '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'', ran on Broadway for 532 performances from 1960 to 1962 and was made into a 1964 motion picture starring

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

. His third Broadway musical was an adaptation of the film '' Miracle on 34th Street'', called '' Here's Love''. Some theater buffs recall it as a quick failure, but it actually enjoyed an eight-month run on Broadway in 1963-64 (334 performances). His fourth, last, and least successful musical was ''

1491 Year 1491 (Roman numerals, MCDXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 2 – Alain I of Albret signs the Treaty of Moulins with C ...

'', which told the story of Columbus's attempts to finance his famous voyage. It was produced by the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera in 1969, but not on Broadway.

Other works

Classical music

Willson's Symphony No. 1 in F minor: ''A Symphony of San Francisco'' and his Symphony No. 2 in E minor: ''Missions of California'' were recorded in 1999 by William T. Stromberg conducting the

Moscow State Symphony Orchestra The Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (MSSO) is a Russian orchestra, based in Moscow. The orchestra gives concerts primarily at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. As well, the orchestra gives concerts in ...

. Other symphonic works include the '' O.O. McIntyre Suite'', ''Symphonic Variations on an American Theme and Anthem'', the symphonic poem '' Jervis Bay'', and ''Ask Not'', which incorporates quotations from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. In tribute to the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA), Willson composed ''In Idyllwild'' for orchestra, choir, vocal solo and Alphorn. Willson's chamber music includes ''A Suite for Flute''.

Television specials

In 1964, Willson produced three original summer variety specials for CBS under the title ''Texaco Star Parade''. The first premiered on June 5, 1964, and starred Willson and his wife Rini. It featured guest stars Caterina Valente and Sergio Franchi, and a production number with Willson leading four military bands composed of 500 California high school band members. The second special starred

singing songs she sang in the 1964 movie version of Willson's Broadway musical ''The Unsinkable Molly Brown.'' On July 28, Willson and Rini hosted the third special, which featured a Willson production number with 1,000 Marine Corps volunteers from Camp Pendelton. Guest stars were Vikki Carr,

Jack Jones Jack Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *Jack Jones (American singer) (born 1938), American jazz and pop singer *Jack Jones, stage name of Australian singer Irwin Thomas (born 1971) *Jack Jones (Welsh musician) (born 1992), Welsh mu ...

, Frederick Hemke, and

Joe and Eddie Joe and Eddie was an American gospel folk group. During their careers, the African-American duo composed of Joe Gilbert and Eddie Brown toured the United States and Canada, appeared on more than 20 major television shows, and recorded eight album ...

Popular songs

Willson wrote a number of well-known songs, such as "You and I", a No. 1 hit for

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...

in 1941 on the ''Billboard'' charts. It was also recorded by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

, and by Tommy Dorsey with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

on vocals. Three songs from ''The Music Man'' have become American standards: " Seventy-Six Trombones", "Gary, Indiana", and " Till There Was You", originally titled "Till I Met You" (1950). Other popular songs by Willson include "

" (published as "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas"), "

", and " I See the Moon". He wrote the University of Iowa's fight song, " Iowa Fight Song", as well as Iowa State University's "For I for S Forever". He also wrote the fight song for his hometown high school "Mason City, Go!" He honored The Salvation Army with a musical tribute, "Banners and Bonnets". An oddity in Willson's body of work is " Chicken Fat", written in 1962. In school gymnasiums across the nation, this was the theme song for President John F. Kennedy's youth fitness program. It was time to get the country's youth into shape, and Willson's song had youngsters moving through basic exercises at a frenetic pace: push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, torso twists, running in place, pogo springs, and plenty of marching. With an energetic lead vocal by Robert Preston, orchestral marching band, and full chorus, it was recorded during sessions for the ''Music Man'' film. Two versions of the song exist: a three-minute, radio-friendly length, and a longer, six-minute version for use in the gymnasium. In 2014, a re-recording of "Chicken Fat" was used in a television commercial for the

iPhone 5S The iPhone 5S (stylized and marketed as iPhone 5s) is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the seventh generation of the iPhone, succeeding the iPhone 5, and unveiled in September 2013, alongside the iPhone 5C. Th ...

. In 1974, Willson offered another marching song, "Whip Inflation Now", to the Ford Administration.

Autobiography

Willson wrote three memoirs: ''And There I Stood With My Piccolo'' (1948), ''Eggs I Have Laid'' (1955), and ''But He Doesn't Know the Territory'' (1959).

Personal life

Willson was married three times. He was divorced by his first wife, Elizabeth, as reported in a news dispatch of March 5, 1947. They apparently had no contact after the divorce, and in his three memoirs Elizabeth is never mentioned, although he surprised her by sending her roses on August 20, 1970, which would have been their 50th wedding anniversary. Wilson married Ralina "Rini" Zarova, a Russian opera singer, on March 13, 1948. She died on December 6, 1966. Willson married Rosemary Sullivan in February 1968. For years he lived in the

Mandeville Canyon Mandeville Canyon is a small, affluent community in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Its center is Mandeville Canyon Road, which begins at Sunset Boulevard and extends north towards Mulholland Drive, though it stops short of Mulholland ...

section of

Brentwood, California Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 66,854 as of 2022, an increase of 287% from 23,302 at the 2000 census. Brentwood began ...

; he was fondly remembered by friends and neighbors as a warm and gregarious host who loved nothing more than to play the piano and sing at parties. He often gave guests autographed copies of his album ''Meredith Willson Sings Songs from The Music Man''. In 1982, he and Rosemary appeared in the audience of ''The Lawrence Welk Show''. Willson returned several times to his hometown for the North Iowa Band Festival, an annual event celebrating music with a special emphasis on marching bands. Mason City was the site of the 1962 premiere of the motion picture '' The Music Man'', hosted by Iowa Governor

Norman Erbe Norman Arthur Erbe (October 25, 1919 – June 8, 2000) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 35th governor of Iowa, holding the position from 1961 to 1963. Biography He was born in Boone, Iowa. He served as an infantry ...

, which was timed to coincide with the festival. Like his character Harold Hill, Willson led the "Big Parade" through the town, and the event included special appearances by the film's stars Shirley Jones and Robert Preston. The Master of Ceremonies, Mason City ''Globe-Gazette'' editor

W. Earl Hall W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP ''Bar ...

, was a statewide radio personality and friend of many decades. Willson was a member of the National Honorary Band Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi. Willson died of heart failure in 1984 at the age of 82. His funeral in Mason City included mourners dressed in ''Music Man'' costumes and a barbershop quartet that sang "Lida Rose".Traubner, Richard. "The Music Man," ''Playbill'' (1988). Willson is buried at the

Elmwood-St. Joseph Municipal Cemetery Elmwood-St. Joseph Municipal Cemetery is located in Mason City, Iowa, United States. It was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. History The first cemetery in the city was a small burial ground esta ...

in Mason City.

Legacy

*On June 23, 1987, Willson posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. *In 1999, the United States Postal Service issued a postage stamp featuring Willson. *Willson's boyhood home in Mason City, Iowa, is part of "The Music Man Square", which opened in 2002. His widow, Rosemary, was a donor to the square. * His alma mater, the Juilliard School, dedicated its first and only residence hall to Willson in 2005. *" Till There Was You" from ''The Music Man'' was a favorite of the Beatles, and their recording of it was issued on their second UK and US albums '' With the Beatles'' and '' Meet the Beatles!''. They performed the song during their first appearance on '' The Ed Sullivan Show'' in 1964. * Willson's papers can be found at the Great American Songbook Foundation.

Bibliography

*Willson, Meredith. ''And There I Stood with My Piccolo''. Minneapolis
University of Minnesota Press
1948, 2009. *Willson, Meredith. ''Eggs I Have Laid'', Holt, 1955. *Willson, Meredith. ''But He Doesn't Know the Territory''. Minneapolis

1959, 2009. Chronicles the making of ''The Music Man''.

Notes

References

* Skipper, John C. (2000), ''Meredith Willson: The Unsinkable Music Man'' Savas Pub. Co, * Oates, Bill (2005), ''Meredith Willson-America's Music Man'', Author House,

External links

Official Website
* *
MTI Shows biographySong Writers Hall of Fame listingDes Moines Register bio
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20100509100713/http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/MSC/ToMsc200/MsC193/MsC193.htm Univ. of Iowa Special Collections, Papers of W. Earl Hall (dating from 1917–1969)
Appearance of Willson as guest on Make the Connection show, Sept. 1, 1955?
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willson, Meredith 1902 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical composers American classical composers American classical flautists American film score composers American male classical composers American memoirists American musical theatre composers American musical theatre lyricists Broadway composers and lyricists Capitol Records artists Distinguished Service to Music Medal recipients Grammy Award winners Juilliard School alumni American male film score composers Musicians from Iowa People from Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles People from Mason City, Iowa Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients RCA Victor artists Songwriters from Iowa Tony Award winners American male songwriters 20th-century flautists