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Hal Willner was a true veteran of the music industry, having worked with an exceptionally diverse collection of artists in recording, film, television and live events. A widely respected curator and archivist, Willner often stayed behind the scenes, assembling tribute albums and concerts featuring envelope-pushing artists in styles ranging from jazz and classical to rock and spoken word.
“He was a truly inspirational collaborator, someone who through his unique combination of musical knowledge and warm personality, invigorated every project he touched,” the rock band Metallica said in a statement posted on the group’s Instagram page. (Willner co-produced Metallica’s 2011 collaboration with Lou Reed, “Lulu.”) “His breadth and scope within the world of music was incredible…Hal’s love and appreciation of all styles of cutting-edge music and art made him a man in high demand…He was such a warm, open, and communicative person.”
Willner died April 7, one day after his 64th birthday, in his apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where he lived with his wife, Sheila Rogers, and their 15-year-old son, Arlo. Willner had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 but had not been formally diagnosed, said Blake Zidell, a representative for Willner.
A Twitter message Willner posted on March 28 suggested that he was suffering from the virus. “I always wanted to have a number one—but not this,” he wrote, alongside a map that showed New York as the epicenter of the crisis, adding: “In bed on upper west side.”
Hal Willner was born in Philadelphia on April 6, 1956. His father and uncle were Holocaust survivors; in interviews he detailed how he spent his childhood absorbing his father’s memories and retreating into music and television. Willner moved to New York City in 1974 to attend New York University, but left school without graduating and ended up apprenticing under record producer Joel Dorn, who was famous for his work earlier in the decade with Bette Midler and Roberta Flack.
Willner’s career started to settle in 1980 when he became the sketch music producer of “Saturday Night Live,” a role he continued until he died. Over four decades, his eclectic tastes and ideas found their way into millions of American homes via some of the most iconic sketches in comedy history. Remembered by many for his charming and quirky nature, Willner left a mark on dozens of comedy legends, several of whom shared tributes in the wake of his death.
“Hal was a part of so much of the music and pop culture comedy we have all enjoyed for years,” Ben Stiller said on Twitter. “He was kind and extremely cool.”
“Absolutely devastated to get this news about my weird and lovely pal, Hal,” said Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Twitter. “We are heartbroken.”
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From 1988 to 1990 Willner was the musical coordinator for the NBC program “Sunday Night” (later renamed “Night Music”), for which he presented musicians from myriad genres and introduced avant-garde acts to a national audience.
During his career, Willner produced full albums for Marianne Faithfull, Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, Laurie Anderson, and Allen Ginsberg. He also worked on films including “Gangs of New York” and “Anchorman.” In 1998, he released an album under his own name, “Whoops, I’m an Indian,” in which he featured samples from early-20th century records.
“His studio was like a living collage of his love of music, art and other fascinations; record albums, artwork, puppets…” Elvis Costello wrote in a statement posted on Facebook.
Though he often championed offbeat, envelope-pushing artists with limited audiences, Willner also worked with many of the industry’s biggest stars. Over the past few years he had recorded the likes of Nick Cave, U2, and Elton John while compiling a tribute album to the English rock band T. Rex and its lead singer, Marc Bolan.
In remembering Willner’s legacy, many of his admirers pointed to the various tribute concerts he produced, in which Willner and chart-topping performers reimagined the works of Leonard Cohen, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus.
“This range of artists was not by any means unique in Hal’s work, nor was it a matter of marquee billing or stunt casting,” Costello said of the concerts. “To engage with the gentle and curious assemblies of his productions was to surrender your fears and doubts, like discovering a box of paints full of previously unseen colours.”
Willner is survived by his wife, Sheila Rogers; their son, Arlo; his sister, Chari McClary; and his father, Carl.
