Mason Douglas Williams was born on August 24,1938 and is an American classical guitarist, composer, singer, writer, comedian, and poet, best known for his 1968 instrumental "Classical Gas" and for his work as a comedy writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and Saturday Night Live.
33 Facts About Mason Williams
2.
Mason Williams grew up dividing his time between living with his father in Oklahoma and his mother in Oakridge, Oregon.
3.
Mason Williams graduated from Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1956.
4.
Mason Williams attended Oklahoma City University and North Texas State University for one semester, and served in the United States Navy from 1961 to 1963.
5.
In 1968, Mason Williams won three Grammy Awards for his guitar instrumental "Classical Gas".
6.
For both Handmade and Sharepickers, Mason Williams received two more Grammy nominations for "Best Album Cover Design".
7.
In 1970, Mason Williams made a television appearance on a variety show, Just Friends, which reunited regulars of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
8.
Mason Williams then used the plexiglass guitar to finger-sync his hit version of "Classical Gas".
9.
Mason Williams has recorded more than a dozen albums, five on the Warner Bros.
10.
In December 1970, Mason Williams performed benefit concerts for the Pala Indian Reservation Cultural Center hosted by Clairemont High School.
11.
Mason Williams released an acoustic instrumental album of Christmas and holiday music, A Gift of Song, on the Real Music label, featuring arrangements of traditional carols and original compositions.
12.
Mason Williams relates that when compiling the album he went to Warner Bros.
13.
In conjunction with the release of this album, Mason Williams added a "Holiday Concert Program" to his repertoire, featuring music from the album as well as other traditional music of the season.
14.
Mason Williams then concentrated on a variety of programs for his concert appearances.
15.
That same year, in 1995, Mason Williams was invited to play for Oregon governor John Kitzhaber's inauguration and in 1996, Mason Williams received an honorary Doctorate of Music from his alma mater, Oklahoma City University.
16.
In 1999, Mason Williams played again for the Kitzhaber's second inauguration.
17.
Mason Williams received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Oregon in honor of his contribution to the arts in Oregon.
18.
Mason Williams' music has been featured in several movies including The Story of Us, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Dish, The Heidi Chronicles, and Heartbreakers.
19.
Mason Williams's compositions have been played on the television series The Sopranos.
20.
In 2003, Mason Williams released an EP, Music for the Epicurean Harkener, and again was nominated for a Grammy in 2004 for best instrumental album.
21.
In June 2006, Mason Williams performed at his 50th high school reunion at Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City.
22.
Mason Williams performed with other musicians as 'Mason Williams and Friends' at concerts in Eugene and Springfield and at the opening gala at the Richard E Wildish Community Theater in Springfield.
23.
Mason Williams set most of his comic ideas to music and sang or recited the jokes in lyric form with guitar accompaniment.
24.
Mason Williams has written more than 175 hours of music and comedy for network television programming and was a prime creative force for CBS' controversial Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
25.
In 1980, Mason Williams briefly served as head writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live, but left after clashing with producer Jean Doumanian.
26.
In 1988, Mason Williams received his third Emmy nomination as a comedy writer for his work on The Smothers Brothers 20th Reunion Special on CBS.
27.
In February 2000, Mason Williams participated in the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado.
28.
Also a photographer, Mason Williams published a life-sized photo print of a Greyhound bus in the 1960s.
29.
Mason Williams appeared with the print on the cover of his first album, The Mason Williams Phonograph Record.
30.
Mason Williams created a program called Of Time and Rivers Flowing.
31.
Mason Williams married Sheila Ann Massey on April 22,1961; they had one daughter, Kathryn Michelle, before divorcing.
32.
Mason Williams remarried, to Katherine Elizabeth Kahn, in February 1994; the couple divorced after ten years.
33.
Mason Williams lives in Eugene, Oregon, with his Canadian-born wife, Karen, an attorney.