George Wilkins is an American soundtrack composer who has created several noteworthy scores and songs for

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...

Career

Wilkins got his start in the music industry as a backup vocalist and vocal arranger for

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

during the 1950s. In the 1960s, he also co-founded the vocal group the

Doodletown Pipers The Doodletown Pipers (also known as the New Doodletown Pipers) were a 1960s and 1970s easy listening vocal group founded by Ward Ellis, George Wilkins, Bernie Brillstein and Jerry Weintraub. The Doodletown Pipers made numerous appearances on netw ...

. By this time, Wilkins broke out as a composer for film and television with his work on the

Rankin/Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usual ...

productions of ''

Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film ...

'' (1964) and ''

The Wacky World of Mother Goose ''The Wacky World of Mother Goose'' is a 1967 animated musical fantasy film made by Rankin/Bass, written by Romeo Muller and directed by Jules Bass based on Charles Perrault's stories and nursery rhymes. The movie is the first theatrical feature ...

'' (1967). In 1979, Wilkins joined

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...

as a protégé to composer

Buddy Baker Elzie Wylie "Buddy" Baker Jr. (January 25, 1941 – August 10, 2015) was an American professional stock car racing driver and commentator. Over the course of his 33-year racing career, he won 19 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 19 ...

. 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 Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attr ...

Credits

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, George 1930 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century classical composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century classical composers American classical composers American contemporary classical composers American film score composers American male classical composers American male conductors (music) American television composers Disney imagineers Disney music Disney people Living people American male film score composers Walt Disney Theatrical