George Wilkins (composer)

George Edward Wilkins (March 1, 1934 – November 8, 2024) was an American musician, arranger, and composer who was best known for his work with the Disney Parks.

Life and career

George Edward Wilkins was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 1, 1934.

Early career

Wilkins' first foray into music was serving as a solo vocalist at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Detroit. Wilkins got his start in the music industry as a backup vocalist and vocal arranger for Patti Page during the 1950s. In the 1960s, he also co-founded the vocal group The Doodletown Pipers. By this time, Wilkins broke out as a composer for film and television with his work on the Rankin/Bass productions Return to Oz (1964) and The Wacky World of Mother Goose (1967).

Disney

In 1979, Wilkins joined Walt Disney Productions as a protégé to composer Norman "Buddy" Baker, and was tasked with writing the arrangements for the Listen to the Land and Kitchen Kabaret attractions at EPCOT, which was opening in three years, but was thrust into a composer role for the entire park after Baker was involved in a car accident. Wilkins then became music director for EPCOT in 1981 when Baker was called away to compose and conduct the score for The Fox and the Hound.

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. 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" as well as director of music for Walt Disney Imagineering. Wilkins composed the music for the original song "We've Come So Far" for Space Mountain in 1984, as well as an instrumental arrangement for the attraction's queue, which remains installed in the attraction and can still be heard today. 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. Wilkins also did all arrangements for the Kitchen Kabaret replacement Food Rocks, and composed all score and audio cues for Test Track 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.

Death

Wilkins died on November 8, 2024 in Paso Robles, California at age 90.

Credits

Film and television

Disney Parks

External links

• at IMDb
• discography at Discogs