Meredith Willson

This article is about the composer and musician. For other people with a similar name, see Meredith Wilson.

Meredith Willson
Meredith Willson 1961
Willson in 1961
Born
Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson

(1902-05-18)May 18, 1902
Mason City, Iowa, U.S.
DiedJune 15, 1984(1984-06-15) (aged 82)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Flautist
  • composer
  • conductor
  • playwright
  • bandleader
  • author
Years active1921−1982

Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson[1] (May 18, 1902 – June 15, 1984) was an American flautist, composer, conductor, musical arranger, bandleader, playwright, and writer. He is perhaps best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the 1957 hit Broadway musical The Music Man[2] and "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (1951). Willson wrote three other musicals, two of which appeared on Broadway,[3] and composed symphonies and popular songs. He was twice nominated for Academy Awards for film scores.

  1. ^ Randel, Don Michael (1996). The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music. Belknap Press. p. 989.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Larkin50 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ McHugh, Dominic (2021). The Big Parade: Meredith Willson's Musicals from The Music Man to 1491. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. x–xi. ISBN 978-0-19-755473-9. Retrieved January 7, 2024.