Meredith Willson

Meredith Willson (1902–1984) was an American composer, lyricist, and playwright, best known for creating the Broadway musical *The Music Man*. Born in Mason City, Iowa, he studied music and became a professional flutist, later playing with the John Philip Sousa band and the New York Philharmonic. Willson also built a prominent career in radio, serving as music director for major network programs and composing popular songs. His greatest success came with *The Music Man* (1957), for which he wrote the book, music, and lyrics; it won the Tony Award for Best Musical. He later wrote *The Unsinkable Molly Brown* (1960).