Hal Willner

Willner was born in Philadelphia in 1956. His father and uncle were Holocaust survivors.{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/arts/music/hal-willner-dead.html|title = Hal Willner, Music Producer Who Melded Styles, Dies at 64|work = The New York Times|date = April 8, 2020|access-date = April 8, 2020|last = Leland|first = John|archive-date = April 12, 2020|archive-url = https://archive.today/20200412204452/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/arts/music/hal-willner-dead.html|url-status = live}} Willner moved to New York City in 1974 to attend New York University, but did not graduate.

In the late 1970s, Willner worked under record producer Joel Dorn, credited as associate producer on Leon Redbone's albums Double Time and Champagne Charlie,{{cite web |author=Hal Willner |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hal-willner-p138713/credits |title=Hal Willner - Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=November 29, 2012 |archive-date=January 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110093143/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hal-willner-p138713/credits |url-status=live }} and The Neville Brothers' Fiyo on the Bayou. In 1980, Willner became the sketch music producer of Saturday Night Live, where he chose the music to be used in sketches. Willner held this job until his death in 2020. From 1988 to 1990 he produced the TV program Sunday Night (later renamed Night Music), which was hosted by David Sanborn and presented musicians from a wide variety of genres.

Willner produced albums for Marianne Faithfull, Lou Reed, Bill Frisell, Steven Bernstein, William S. Burroughs, Gavin Friday, Lucinda Williams, Laurie Anderson, and Allen Ginsberg, among others. In 1991, he produced a live tribute concert to Tim Buckley, a show that gave important exposure to Buckley's son Jeff 18 months before Jeff Buckley signed with a record label. In 1998, Willner released his only album as a featured artist, Whoops, I'm an Indian. The album mixed drum and bass and ambient music recordings with audio samples, including many sourced from 78 rpm records from the early-mid 20th century.

Following earlier stagings, in January 2010 Willner produced his pirate-themed concert event Rogue's Gallery for the Sydney Festival. The multinational cast included Marianne Faithfull, Todd Rundgren, Tim Robbins, Richard Strange, Gavin Friday, Anohni, Peter Garrett, Baby Gramps, David Thomas, Sarah Blasko, Katy Steele, Peaches, Glenn Richards, Liam Finn, Camille O'Sullivan, Kami Thompson, and Marry Waterson.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2010/Music/Rogues-Gallery/ |title=Sydney Festival 2010 - Rogue's Gallery |access-date=October 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112125942/http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2010/Music/Rogues-Gallery/ |archive-date=January 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Willner married television producer Sheila Rogers. In November, 2004, their son Arlo was born.

Willner had symptoms consistent with COVID-19. He died at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on April 7, 2020, one day after his 64th birthday during the pandemic in New York City.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/obituaries-people-news/hal-willner-dead-dies-music-producer-saturday-night-live-1234573202/|title=Hal Willner, Music Producer and 'SNL' Veteran, Dies of Coronavirus at 64|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=2020-04-07|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2020-04-07|archive-date=April 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407192315/https://variety.com/2020/music/obituaries-people-news/hal-willner-dead-dies-music-producer-saturday-night-live-1234573202/|url-status=live}} A tribute to Willner was played during the April 11, 2020 episode of Saturday Night Live, featuring both the reminiscences of current and past cast members and a choral rendition of Lou Reed's song "Perfect Day".Jem Aswad, [https://variety.com/2020/music/news/saturday-night-live-hal-willner-tribute-snl-watch-video-1234578107/ "‘Saturday Night Live’ Pays Loving Tribute to Longtime Sketch Music Maestro Hal Willner"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413032516/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/saturday-night-live-hal-willner-tribute-snl-watch-video-1234578107/ |date=April 13, 2020 }}. Variety, April 11, 2020.

{{more citations needed|section|date = April 2020}}

• Amarcord Nino Rota (1981) Willner's first tribute album salutes Italian composer Nino Rota, and features interpretation of his music for Federico Fellini films by jazz musicians including: Wynton and Branford Marsalis; Carla Bley; Muhal Richard Abrams; Bill Frisell; Steve Lacy; and Jaki Byard; plus singer–songwriter Deborah Harry."[https://web.archive.org/web/20100117044450/http://issueprojectroom.org/2009/03/ Hal Wilner]". Issue Project Room at the Old American Can Factory. March 2009. Archived from [http://issueprojectroom.org/2009/03/ the original] on January 17, 2010.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,,349989,00.html#article_continue | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Nino Rota: Godfather of Italian music | access-date=May 4, 2010 | archive-date=November 11, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111204302/http://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,,349989,00.html#article_continue | url-status=live }}
• That's The Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk (1984) features pop and jazz musicians including NRBQ, Steve Lacy, Dr. John, John Zorn, Donald Fagen, and Peter Frampton.
• Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill (1985) features musicians ranging from Sting to Charlie Haden
• Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films (1988) features performances of songs from Walt Disney movies by a large cast of artists ranging from Sun Ra to NRBQ, Michael Stipe, Ringo Starr, Yma Sumac and Ken Nordine
• Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus (1992) is a tribute to Charles Mingus, featuring instruments designed and built by American composer Harry Partch, on loan from his estate. Performers include Bill Frisell, Vernon Reid, Henry Rollins, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Don Byron, Henry Threadgill, Gary Lucas, Bobby Previte, Robert Quine, Leonard Cohen, Diamanda Galás, Chuck D, Francis Thumm, and Elvis Costello
• September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill (1994) re-creation of the previous Weill tribute as a Canadian TV special directed by Larry Weinstein. A CD was issued including performances by Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. The list of performers on this recording is different from the list of performers on his previous Weill tribute. Some of those that are on both tributes, such as Lou Reed and Charlie Haden, provide new recordings of the pieces they contributed previously. Many of the songs included are the same, although the new recording tends toward more historical recordings (Lotte Lenya, Bertolt Brecht, and Weill himself), while the previous one tended toward more avant-garde tributes.
• Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen (2003) another Larry Weinstein TV program. The CD includes performances by Rufus Wainwright, Debbie Harry, David Johansen, Eric Mingus and Sandra Bernhard
• Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2006) soundtrack for Lian Lunson's documentary film about Willner's Leonard Cohen tribute event Came So Far for Beauty
• Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys (2006) Double CD includes performers ranging from Bono to Van Dyke Parks.
• The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited (2006). Recorded at Hal Willner's Harry Smith Project events in London (1999), Brooklyn (1999) and LA (2001), plus a DVD documentary.
• Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys (2013) is a compilation album of sea shanties and the follow-up to 2006's Rogue's Gallery.
• Will Anybody Know That I Was Here: The Songs of Beulah Rowley (2016). A concept album about a Depression-era singer/songwriter, written and performed by Mary Lee Kortes, produced by Hal Willner, recorded at [https://www.johnkilgore.com John Kilgore Sound & Recording]. This was Willner's last single-artist album. Special guests include Joe Jackson, Lenny Pickett, Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, Charlie Burnham, Doug Weiselman, Shawn Pelton.
• AngelHeaded Hipster : The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex (2020) is a compilation album that pays tribute to Marc Bolan and his group T. Rex. Willner relates in the notes to the album that he was a fan of Bolan since the 1970s. Decades later, BMG approached Willner to produce a tribute album to Marc as a composer, and AngelHeaded Hipster is the result. The double CD and vinyl album includes performances by Kesha, Nick Cave, Joan Jett, Devendra Banhart, Lucinda Williams, Peaches, BORNS, Beth Orton, King Khan, Gaby Moreno, U2 and Elton John, John Cameron Mitchell, Emily Haines, Father John Misty, Perry Farrell, Elysian Fields, Gavin Friday, Nena, Marc Almond, Helga Davis, Todd Rundgren, Jesse Harris, Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Victoria Williams and Julian Lennon, David Johanson, and Maria McKee, with vocal contributions from Richard Barone, Jenni Muldaur, and Rolan Bolan. The album was released in September 2020, following Willner's death.

• Greetings from Tim Buckley (Brooklyn 1991)[http://www.timbuckley.net/concerts/stanns.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207072019/http://www.timbuckley.net/concerts/stanns.htm|date=December 7, 2008}}
• Nevermore: Poems & Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (Brooklyn 1995),{{cite web |url=http://evolutionmusicpartners.com/music_supervisors/hal_willner |title=Hal Willner |publisher=Evolution Music Partners |access-date=November 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211120612/http://evolutionmusicpartners.com/music_supervisors/hal_willner |archive-date=February 11, 2013 }} which led to the album Closed on Account of Rabies (1997), then Hal Willner's Halloween Show: Never Bet the Devil your Head (Los Angeles 2002), then Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe (Los Angeles 2001){{cite web |url=http://www.theofficearts.com/willner-projects.html |title=WILLNER PROJECTS - THE OFFICE performing arts + film |publisher=Theofficearts.com |access-date=November 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213133852/http://www.theofficearts.com/willner-projects.html |archive-date=February 13, 2013 }}
• Tribute to Allen Ginsberg (Los Angeles)
• Marquis de Sade's writings (New York 1998)
• The Harry Smith Project (London 1999, Los Angeles 2001)
• The Doc Pomus Project (New York City 2001)
• Came So Far for Beauty, An Evening of Songs by Leonard Cohen (Brooklyn 2003, Brighton 2004, Sydney 2005, Dublin 2006){{cite web |url=http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/brooklyn.html |title="Came so far for Beauty" – An Evening of Songs by Leonard Cohen Under the Stars, in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, June 28, 2003. Report by Dick Straub |publisher=Leonardcohenfiles.com |date=June 28, 2003 |access-date=November 29, 2012 |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022043855/http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/brooklyn.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/01/30/1107020256057.html?oneclick=true | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=Came So Far For Beauty | date=January 31, 2005 | access-date=March 31, 2011 | archive-date=August 5, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805034258/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/01/30/1107020256057.html?oneclick=true | url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/dublin.html |title="Came so far for Beauty" in Dublin |publisher=Leonardcohenfiles.com |access-date=November 29, 2012 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729042537/https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/dublin.html |url-status=live }}
• Dream Comfort Memory Despair: The Songs of Neil Young (Brooklyn 2004), followed by Hal Willner's Neil Young Project (Vancouver 2010){{cite web |url=https://www.straight.com/article-288485/vancouver/willners-taking-risks-his-neil-young-project |title=Hal Willner's taking risks with his Neil Young Project |date=February 10, 2010 |publisher=www.straight.com |access-date=April 10, 2020 |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023113032/https://www.straight.com/article-288485/vancouver/willners-taking-risks-his-neil-young-project |url-status=live }}
• Perfect Partners: Nino Rota & Federico Fellini (London 2004)
• Shock and Awe: The Songs of Randy Newman (Los Angeles 2004)
• Let's Eat: Feasting on The Firesign Theatre (Los Angeles 2004){{cite news |last1=Mirkin |first1=Steven |title=Let's Eat! Feasting on the Firesign Theater |url=https://variety.com/2004/legit/markets-festivals/let-s-eat-feasting-on-the-firesign-theater-1200534185/ |access-date=April 11, 2020 |work=Variety |date=April 4, 2004 |language=en |archive-date=April 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411013050/https://variety.com/2004/legit/markets-festivals/let-s-eat-feasting-on-the-firesign-theater-1200534185/ |url-status=live }}{{cite press release |date=January 13, 2004 |title=Audio Plays of the Legendary Firesign Theatre Performed by All-Star Cast Led by UCLA Live Artist in Residence Hal Willner April 1. |url=http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Audio-Plays-of-the-Legendary-Firesign-4794 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140923133844/http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Audio-Plays-of-the-Legendary-Firesign-4794 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 23, 2014 |type=Press release |publisher=UCLA Newsroom}}
• Forest of No Return: Hal Willner Presents Vintage Disney Songbook (London 2007), followed by Stay Awake: 20th anniversary of the classic recording of Disney songs (Brooklyn 2008){{Cite news

|last = Pompeo

|first = Joe

|title = Stay Awake Stays Alive in Brooklyn

|newspaper = The New York Observer

|date = March 14, 2008

|url = http://www.observer.com/2008/hal-willners-disney-interpretation-i-stay-awake-i-have-american-premier-brooklyn

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080726000843/http://www.observer.com/2008/hal-willners-disney-interpretation-i-stay-awake-i-have-american-premier-brooklyn

|archive-date = July 26, 2008

}} (Hal Willner's Stay Awake at UCLA was scheduled for October 30, 2008, but was cancelled due to unavailability of some performers){{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/10/ucla-cancels-ha.html |title=UCLA cancels Hal Willner Stay Awake concert |access-date=September 13, 2017 |author=Lewis, Randy |date=October 22, 2008 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913233154/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/10/ucla-cancels-ha.html |url-status=live }}

• Rogue's Gallery (NYC 2007, Dublin 2008, London 2008, Gateshead 2008, Sydney 2010)
• Hal Willner's Bill Withers Project (Brooklyn 2008)
• Begats: Readings of the Work of Burroughs, DeSade & Poe (Brooklyn 2009)[http://www.issueprojectroom.org/music/hal-willner/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809024626/http://www.issueprojectroom.org/music/hal-willner/|date=August 9, 2011}}
• Gotta Right to Sing the Blues? Music and Readings from A Fine Romance, Jewish Songwriters, American Songs (NYC 2010)
• An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends (New York, Carnegie Hall, 2009) {{cite web |url=http://gavinfriday.com/2009/09/11/hal-willner-presents-an-evening-with-gavin-friday-and-friends/ |title=Hal Willner presents: An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends – Gavin Friday – Official Site |publisher=Gavinfriday.com |date=September 11, 2009 |access-date=November 29, 2012 |archive-date=March 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327155831/http://gavinfriday.com/2009/09/11/hal-willner-presents-an-evening-with-gavin-friday-and-friends/ |url-status=live }}
• Hal Willner's Freedom Riders Project (Brooklyn 2011){{cite web |url=http://www.bricartsmedia.org/events/hal-willner-s-freedom-riders-project |title=6/16/2011 - Hal Willner's Freedom Riders Project :: Calendar :: BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn |publisher=Bricartsmedia.org |date=June 16, 2011 |access-date=November 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911220535/http://www.bricartsmedia.org/events/hal-willner-s-freedom-riders-project |archive-date=September 11, 2011 }}
• Shelebration: The Works of Shel Silverstein (New York 2011){{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/08/arts/music/shelebration-silverstein-tribute-at-summerstage-review.html | work=The New York Times | first=Jon | last=Pareles | title='Shelebration!,' Silverstein Tribute at SummerStage - Review | date=August 7, 2011 | access-date=February 27, 2017 | archive-date=March 20, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320093709/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/08/arts/music/shelebration-silverstein-tribute-at-summerstage-review.html | url-status=live }}
• Hal Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota (London, The Barbican, 2013; New York, Lincoln Center, 2018)[https://web.archive.org/web/20131212091150/http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/11/review-hal-willner-nino-rota-amarcord.html Review: Hal Willner: Nino Rota Amarcord (LJF)] 26 November 2013 Londonjazznews.com
• The Bells: A Day Long Celebration of Lou Reed (New York, July 30, 2016){{cite magazine | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lou-reeds-last-project-a-box-set-of-remastered-cds-due-this-fall-20160517 | title = Lou Reed's 'Last Project,' a Box Set of Remastered CDs, Due This Fall | date= May 17, 2016 | access-date = September 13, 2017 | magazine = Rolling Stone | author = Kory Grow }}
• 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time: Songs from Bob Dylan's 1963 Town Hall Concert' (New York Town Hall Thursday, May 24, 2018){{cite magazine | url = https://variety.com/2018/music/news/bob-dylan-77th-birthday-concert-town-hall-bill-murray-gina-gershon-steve-buscemi-1202822746/ | title = Bill Murray, Gina Gershon, Steve Buscemi Celebrate Bob Dylan at Birthday Tribute | date= May 25, 2018 | access-date = May 14, 2020 | magazine = Variety | author = Mitch Myers }}

With the increasing prevalence of tribute albums in the late 1980s (such as Red Hot + Blue), Willner decided to turn his attention to spoken word recordings.

• Dead City Radio (1990) by William Burroughs has musical backing by Sonic Youth, Donald Fagen, John Cale and others.
• Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales (1996) by William Burroughs with music by The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.
• The Lion for Real by Allen Ginsberg (Mouth Almighty Records 1989) features musical accompaniment by Bill Frisell, Philip Glass, Paul McCartney and others.
• Closed on Account of Rabies (Mouth Almighty Records 1997) consists of readings of Edgar Allan Poe poems and tales by Iggy Pop and others. As Willner's only "spoken word" tribute album, it fits in the context of his other music-based tributes.
• In with the Out Crowd (Mouth Almighty Records 1998) by poet Bob Holman.
• Let the Buyer Beware (2004) is an authoritative six CD box set of historic recordings by the comedian Lenny Bruce.

• The Carl Stalling Project: Two CDs of music composed and/or arranged by Carl Stalling for Warner Brothers cartoons. The first CD was released in 1990; "Volume 2" was released in 1995.
• The soundtracks to Robert Altman's films Short Cuts (1993) and Kansas City (1996).
• Music Supervisor or Producer for The Million Dollar Hotel (Dir. Wim Wenders, 2000), Finding Forester (Dir. Gus Van Sant, 2000), Gangs of New York (Dir. Martin Scorsese, 2002), Talladega Nights (Dir. Adam McKay, 2006), and others.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{IMDb name|0932561}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130213133852/http://www.theofficearts.com/willner-projects.html The Office, production company]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130211120612/http://evolutionmusicpartners.com/music_supervisors/hal_willner Evolution Music, production company]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050214174944/http://citypaper.net/articles/011598/icepack.shtml An article about Willner's spoken word recordings]
• [http://www.ink19.com/issues_F/98_02/ink_spots/hal_willner_nf.html An interview with Willner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312231324/http://www.ink19.com/issues_F/98_02/ink_spots/hal_willner_nf.html |date=March 12, 2015 }}
• {{Discogs artist|Hal Willner}}
• {{cite web |first= Mitch |last= Meyers |url= https://variety.com/2018/music/news/bob-dylan-77th-birthday-concert-town-hall-bill-murray-gina-gershon-steve-buscemi-1202822746/ |title= Bill Murray, Gina Gershon, Steve Buscemi Celebrate Bob Dylan at Birthday Tribute:The May 24 concert was produced by Hal Willner and held at New York's Town Hall |work= Variety |date= May 25, 2018 }}

{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willner, Hal}}

Category:1956 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:21st-century American male musicians

Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)

Category:Grammy Award winners

Category:Jewish American musicians

Category:Musicians from New York City

Category:Musicians from Philadelphia

Category:New York University alumni

Category:People from the Upper West Side

Category:Record producers from Pennsylvania

Category:The Sunday Night Band members