George Wilkins

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 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 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.

Credits

Film and television