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Mason Douglas Williams (b. August 24, 1938 in Abilene, Texas) is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his popular guitar instrumental "Classical Gas". He is also a multiple Emmy award winning comedy writer, known for his writing on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and Saturday Night Live. He is also an eclectic poet and lyricist, with several published books to his credit. Mason Williams (pseudonym Tailsteak) is the creator of the webcomic 1/0 (One Over Zero). ... Image File history File links Wikitext. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Abilene is located in Taylor County, Texas, United States, in the central portion of the state. ... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Classical Gas is an instrumental piece written by Mason Williams. ... The Smothers Brothers are an American musical-comedy team, formed by real-life brothers Tom and Dick Smothers. ... The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour hosted by country singer Glen Campbell from January, 1969 through June, 1972. ... This article is about the American television series. ... This article is about the art form. ...

Career

Music

Mason Williams emerged in the late 1960s as a strong force in television and music circles. In 1968 he won two Grammy awards for his unique composition for guitar, Classical Gas. That same year he also won an Emmy award for his work as a comedy writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... Classical Gas is an instrumental piece written by Mason Williams. ... An Emmy Award. ... The Smothers Brothers are an American musical-comedy team, formed by real-life brothers Tom and Dick Smothers. ...

Mason is perhaps most widely known as a composer and recording artist. He has recorded more than a dozen albums, five on the Warner Bros. label (The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, The Mason Williams Ear Show, Music, Handmade, and Sharepickers). "Classical Gas" was released as a single from The Mason Williams Phonograph Record in 1968. "Classical Gas" won three Grammys that year for "Best Instrumental (theme) Composition", "Best Instrumental (theme) Performance", and "Best Instrumental Orchestra Arrangement" (Mike Post, arranger). As a writer he wrote songs for the The Kingston Trio. “WB” redirects here. ... The Kingston Trios original lineup: Bob Shane, Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds The Kingston Trio is an American folk group. ...

In 1987, Mason teamed up with Mannheim Steamroller, of Fresh Aire fame, to release a new album on the American Gramaphone label. The album, titled Classical Gas, includes a remake of his 1968 Grammy award winning song. Another cut from this album, "Country Idyll", was a 1988 nominee for a Grammy in the Country Music category for "Best Instrumental Performance by a Soloist, Group or Orchestra". The album went gold in 1991. Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Mannheim Steamroller is an 18th century classical rock group founded by Chip Davis, and co-founded by Jackson Berkey, well-known for their modern recordings of holiday music (notably Christmas). ... Fresh Aire was the first album released by new age musical group Mannheim Steamroller. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with RIAA certification. ...

Mason has released (on the Real Music label) an acoustic instrumental album of Christmas/holiday music album titled A Gift of Song, featuring arrangements of traditional carols and original compositions. In 1992 the Vanguard label released Music 1968–1971, a compilation of cuts from his five Warner Bros. albums recorded in the late '60s and 'early 70s.

In the last few years Mason has concentrated on a variety of programs for his concert appearances. His Concert For Bluegrass Band And Orchestra, also titled Symphonic Bluegrass, has been performed with over 40 symphonies including such major orchestras as Denver, Kansas City, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Louisville, and Edmonton.

Mason has released an album of the same title on his own Skookum label containing 14 of the approximately 35 songs performed in the concert. In 1993 the title cut from this album was used as the sound track for a ninety-second PSA spot created by The American Rivers Council on the home video release of Robert Redford's film A River Runs Through It. The same spot will also be on the 1995 home video release of The River Wild filmed in Oregon. A public service announcement (PSA) or community service announcement (CSA) is a non-commercial advertisement typically on radio or television, ostensibly broadcast for the public good. ... The River Wild is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, John C. Reilly, and Joseph Mazzello. ...

In conjunction with the release of his A Gift of Song Christmas CD in 1992, Mason has added a Holiday Concert Program to his repertoire, featuring music from the album as well as other traditional music of the season. In 1994, he played six sold-out concerts with the Oregon Symphony in Portland, Oregon.

1995, '96, '97 and '98 were sprinkled with more performances of all four of Mason's concerts. A highlight of '95 was to be invited to play for Oregon governor John Kitzhaber's inauguration. In 1996 Mason received an honorary Doctorate of Music from his alma mater, Oklahoma City University. John Kitzhaber (born March 5, 1947) is a physician and United States Democratic Party politician from Oregon. ...

In 1998, Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), the music licensing organization that tracks air play performances on radio and television, presented Mason with a Special Citation of Achievement in recognition of the great national and international popularity of "Classical Gas". It has logged over three million broadcast performances to become the all-time number-one instrumental composition for air play in BMI's repertoire, replacing the previous #1 tune, "The Theme From Moulin Rouge" by Michel Legrande, released in 1953. Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) is a collecting society that protects composers intellectual property in the communications business, especially radio. ...

In 1999, Mason played again for the governor of Oregon's second inauguration. In February, Mason's "Bus" art piece was included in the Norton Simon Museum exhibition "Radical Past", in Pasadena, California. In the spring he played his Of Time & Rivers Flowing concert with the Oregon Children's Choral Festival, a two-day event involving 3,000 elementary school children singing water and rivers songs with Mason and his band. Mason received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Oregon in honor of his Contribution to Oregon's Arts. The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. ...

In the fall of '99 he and the Bluegrass Band played for Byron Berline's Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival in Guthrie, Oklahoma with the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra, an outdoor event that, at 47°F (8°C), gave a new meaning to term "bluegrass". Byron Berline is an American fiddle player. ... The Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival is held annually in Guthrie, Oklahoma. ... Guthrie is a city in Logan County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. ...

He has also written music for soundtracks of movies including The Story of Us, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Dish, The Heidi Chronicles, and Heartbreakers. His compositions have been the backdrop for the television series The Sopranos as well. The Story of Us is a 1999 film starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer as a married couple of 15 years directed by Rob Reiner. ... Cheaper by the Dozen is a 1948 novel by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. ... The Dish is a 2000 Australian film that tells the story of how the Parkes Observatory was used to relay the live television from ur mothers bedroom to her bathroom. ... The Heidi Chronicles (1988) is an award-winning play by noted 20th century American playwright Wendy Wasserstein. ... Heartbreakers is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by David Mirkin. ... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... This article is about the television series. ...

In 2003, he released an EP titled Music for the Epicurean Harkener and was again nominated for a Grammy in 2004 for best instrumental album. He continues to write and record and recently released an album with UK guitarist Zoe McCulloch called Electrical Gas in 2005.

It appeared that Mason Williams was heading for retirement, but in 2006 he once again started performing publicly. In June he performed to his 50th high school reunion at Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City. He continued his performances with his friends, Art Maddox, Mark Schneider, Thom Bergeron and Dennis Caffey. They performed at concerts in Eugene and Springfield, and at the opening gala at the Richard E. Wildish Community Theater. He also made special guest appearances in September with many other guitarists at Primal Twang in San Diego, California, and with Craig Einhorn and The Umpqua Symphony Orchestra in Roseburg, Oregon. In January 2007, He was reunited with longtime friend and artist Edward Ruscha performing at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. In October 2007, he was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame^[1]and co-headlined a concert with Everclear and also with Paul Revere and the Raiders. Nickname: Motto: The Worlds Greatest City of the Arts & Outdoors Coordinates: , Country State County Lane Founded 1846 Incorporated 1862 Government  - Mayor Kitty Piercy Area  - City 40. ... Location in Oregon Coordinates: , County Lane County Incorporated 1885 Government  - Mayor Sid Leiken Area  - City 37. ... San Diego redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Edward Ruscha (born December 16, 1937 Omaha, Nebraska) is an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker. ... The Getty Center, seen from the Central Garden The Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, USA, is the current home of the J. Paul Getty Museum as well as a research institute, conservation institute, grant program, and leadership institute. ... Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 1992. ... Paul Revere & the Raiders is an American rock band that saw enormous mainstream success in the 1960s, best-known for hits like Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian), Steppin Out, Kicks, and Hungry. In the 1980s, the band became a major source of inspiration for the Paisley...

Comedy

Like many writer-performers, Mason Williams was also a talented stand-up comedian. Unlike the standard comedy acts of the 1960s, however, Williams set most of his comic ideas to music, and sang or recited the jokes in lyric form, with guitar accompaniment. In 1964 Vee Jay Records released the album Them Poems, on which Williams entertains a live audience with "them poems about them people," covering such varied topics as "Them Moose Goosers," "Them Sand Pickers," and "Them Surf Serfs." A typical "them poem" was "Them Banjo Pickers," which began: "Them banjo pickers! Mighty funny ways. Same damn song for three or four days!" Them Poems was reissued in 1969 (on the heels of "Classical Gas") as The Mason Williams Listening Matter. Vee-Jay Records was a record label, specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. ...

As a comedy writer, Mason has written for more than 150 hours of network television programming. Writing both music and comedy, Mason was a prime creative force for CBS' controversial Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. His extensive repertoire in folk music gave him the background for many of Tom and Dick Smothers' comedy routines, and with co-writer Nancy Ames, he also composed the shows' musical theme. He also created and perpetuated the 1968 "Pat Paulsen for President" campaign, an elaborate political satire. Mason's longest running contribution to date is the launching of the career of Steve Martin. Martin was initially hired by Williams as a writer on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, for which his contributions were initially paid out of Williams' own pocket. The Smothers Brothers are an American musical-comedy team, formed by real-life brothers Tom and Dick Smothers. ... Tom Smothers (born February 2, 1937) is an American comedian, composer and musician from New York, New York. ... Dick Smothers (born November 20, 1938) is an American comedian, composer and musician from New York, New York. ... Patrick Layton Paulsen (July 6, 1927 – April 24, 1997) was an American comedian and satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers TV shows, and for his supposed campaigns for President of the United States in 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996, which had primarily comedic... Political satire is a subgenre of general satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics, politicians and public affairs. ...

Other major television personalities he has written for include Steve Martin (a writing colleague on "Smothers Brothers"), Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, Dinah Shore, Roger Miller, and Petula Clark. In 1980 Mason was head writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live. In 1988 Mason received his third Emmy nomination as a comedy writer for his work on The Smothers Brothers 20th Reunion Special (CBS). According to his book The Mason Williams FCC Rapport, Williams also credits himself with the first concept of a VJ and MTV at large. His concept included visual representations of the music and a video host announcing each piece of music on the air. CBS executives scoffed at his idea at the time. However, this didn't stop him from trying out his idea on the air as his composition Classical Gas was played on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour against a backdrop of 2,000 renaissance art pieces, which by effect made the composition one of the first music videos. For other uses, see Steve Martin (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Andrew Williams, see Andrew Williams (disambiguation). ... For the town in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, see Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania. ... Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore February 29, 1916 - February 24, 1994) was an American singer and actress. ... A section of the album jacket for Golden Hits Roger Dean Miller (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. ... Petula Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932), is an English singer, actress and composer best known for her upbeat popular international hits of the 1960s. ... This article is about the American television series. ...

In February 2000, Mason participated in the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado. The Festival's 6th annual show honored The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and its unique contribution to television. Mason performed a concert with Tom and Dick, and again on a late night show with Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Marc Shaiman, and many newcomers to the world of comedy. US Comedy Arts Festival is a comedy festival held each year in Aspen, Colorado. ...

Environmentalism

After becoming involved in protests against a Willamette River hydroelectric power project, Williams began to think of how the river itself should have a voice in its fate, and eventually collected over 400 songs about rivers, which he crafted into his program Of Time and Rivers Flowing.^[2] A chronological "river" of music and time, it encompasses the realms of classical, folk, minstrel, gospel, jazz, country, pop, and contemporary rock.^{[citation needed]} Mason has performed the program for benefits, conferences, and in concert. A recent event of note was the 25th anniversary celebration of American Rivers in Washington, D.C., where Vice President Al Gore was the principal speaker.^{[citation needed]} The Willamette River (pronounced wil-LAM-met) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 240 mi (386 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ...

Discography

From masonwilliams-online.com and Yahoo's "Mason Williams: Discography".

Footnotes

1. ^ [ http://www.omhof.org/honorees.html Oregon Music Hall of Fame Honorees]
2. ^ Williams, Mason (May 1996). "Of Time and Rivers Flowing Concert History". MasonWilliams-Online.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
3. ^ The release date of Feudin' Banjos is unknown. Its chronological position in the list is estimated from context. The Everest 7105 album was issued in 1973

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Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

External links

• Mason Williams Online