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George Wilkins (composer)

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George Wilkins
Birth nameGeorge Edward Wilkins
Born(1934-03-14)March 14, 1934
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedNovember 2024(2024-11-00) (aged 90)
GenresFilm score, contemporary classical music
Occupation(s)Composer, arranger, producer

George Wilkins (March 14, 1934 – November 2024) was an American soundtrack composer who created several noteworthy scores and songs for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Life and career

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Wilkins got his start in the music industry as a backup vocalist and vocal arranger for Patti Page during the 1950s.[1] In the 1960s, he also co-founded the vocal group the Doodletown Pipers.[2] By this time, Wilkins broke out as a composer for film and television with his work on the Rankin/Bass productions of Return to Oz (1964) and The Wacky World of Mother Goose (1967).[3][4]

In 1979, Wilkins joined The Walt Disney Company as a protégé to composer Buddy Baker,[1] and was tasked with writing the arrangements for Listen to the Land and Kitchen Kabaret, but was thrust into the main composer for the new EPCOT Center park after Baker was involved in a car accident.[5] Wilkins arranged several versions of the song "It's Fun to Be Free", for the World of Motion attraction, and arranged the Journey into Imagination ride music.[5] After several arrangement opportunities, Wilkins was finally tasked with lead composing duties on the Horizons pavilion, after Disney show development head Randy Bright had rejected the Sherman Brothers' compositions for the ride. Wilkins composed the pavilion's area loop, as well as all on-ride music and audio cues.

Throughout his time at Disney, Wilkins acted as both a "Composer in Residence" at Walt Disney Productions as well as the Director of Music for Walt Disney Imagineering.[6][7] Wilkins composed the music for the original song We've Come So Far for Space Mountain when RCA took over sponsorship for the pavilion in 1985, as well as an instrumental arrangement for the attraction's queue line, which remains installed in the attraction and can still be heard today.[8] Wilkins was soon called back to work on EPCOT after being tasked with composing the soundscapes for the new Living Seas pavilion with Russell Brower.[9] Wilkins did all arrangements for Food Rocks, and composed all score and audio cues for Test Track at EPCOT in the late 1990s.

Wilkins' final project with Disney was writing arrangements for It's a Small World at Hong Kong Disneyland, before retiring from the company around 2008.[3]

Wilkins died in November 2024, at the age of 90.[10]

Credits

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Year Title Notes
1964 Return to Oz TV movie, additional music
1967 The Wacky World of Mother Goose Film[4]
1982 Kitchen Kabaret Vocal arrangements
1982 Listen to the Land Orchestral arrangements.
1982 World of Motion Arranged all alternate versions of It's Fun to Be Free for the queue line
1983 Journey into Imagination Arranged ride soundtrack
1983 Horizons Composed ride soundtrack, area loop, queue music, and post-show.
1984 All Because Man Wanted to Fly Short film shown prior to Circle-Vision 360°
1984 Backstage Magic
1984 Country Bear Christmas Special
1985 Space Mountain Composed queue music and We’ve Come So Far
1986 The Living Seas Co-written with Russell Brower.[11]
1986 Country Bear Vacation Hoedown
1986–1987 The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin TV series
1989 Goofy About Health Short film presented at the Wonders of Life pavilion
1994 Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
1994 Food Rocks
1995 Sonny Eclipse An audio-animatronic music show located at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe in Walt Disney World. Wilkins co-wrote the music with Kal David.[12]
1998 The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management)
1998 It's Tough to Be a Bug!
1998 Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin with Randy Newman
1999 Test Track
2001 California Screamin' with Gary Hoey
2001 Superstar Limo
2005 Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters with Randy Newman
2008 It's a Small World Wrote all arrangements
2024 Le Pays des Contes de Fées Wrote all arrangements

References

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  1. ^ a b Tuckey, Tammy (February 25, 2016). "Interview with George Wilkins, Disney Theme Park Composer". Podbean. The Tiara Talk Show. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  2. ^ "The Doodletown Pipers". Progress Bulletin. Pomona, California. August 3, 1969. p. 101. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "George Wilkins". www.pasoroblesfilmfestival.com. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Ehrbar, Greg (August 30, 2016). "The Rankin/Bass (and Paul Coker, Jr.) "Wacky World of Mother Goose" (1965)". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  5. ^ a b RetroMagic50 - Part 10 - George Wilkins, Tammy Tuckey, & Jeff Crawford, August 23, 2022, retrieved November 3, 2023
  6. ^ "George Wilkins". Paso Digital Film Festival. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  7. ^ Veness, Susan; Veness, Simon (April 15, 2012). The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation. Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media. p. 3. ISBN 978-1440528101.
  8. ^ Johnson, Kyle (September 21, 2021). "Take a Trip Through the History of the Space Mountain Queue". WDW Magazine. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  9. ^ Heaton, Dan (April 12, 2021). "136. Russell Brower on the Innoventions Loop and Creating Music for Theme Parks". Tomorrow Society. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  10. ^ Legendary Disney Parks Composer George Wilkins Passes Away at Age 90 Laughing Place
  11. ^ Brigante, Ricky (September 30, 2012). "Fascinating facets of Epcot's 30th anniversary explored by D23 in Walt Disney World fan celebration". Inside the Magic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  12. ^ Mongello, Lou (September 6, 2011). "Kal David (Sonny Eclipse) Interview and Walt Disney World Fact or Fiction". WDWRadio. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
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