By Miles Patrick Yohnke
© 2020 All Rights Reserved.
He had been someone I had admired from a distance since 1988. At the time I was an eager 25-year-old, in the midst of appreciation of the extraordinary creative talents of the likes of Laurie Anderson and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds when I was exposed to his progressive assembly line of eclectic music on the National television show Sunday Night (later named Michelob Presents Night Music) where he served as music coordinator.
In 2001, he would produce Laurie Anderson's album "Life on a String" and in 2007, Lucinda Williams "West" album. Both of these artists I had used in my teachings before he would produce these albums. I have to be honest - it took me a few years to wrap my head around the complexities of them. Both would have longevity.
In fact, Lucinda Williams songs "Come On" and the nine-minute epic "Wrap My Head Around That" and Laurie Anderson's "Statue of Liberty" and "One Beautiful Evening" I still use today.
It was in the summer of 2013 that my dear friend, Nikolitsa Boutieros, phoned me from his van.
"Where are you?" I asked.
"I'm on the highway leaving New York City and we are on our way to Philadelphia to see Nick Cave. I'm in Hal's van," she said.
"Hal?" I replied. In my mind, I only knew of two Hal's and that was Hal Schrenk and Hal Willner.
She says, "Hal Willner!"
"Hal Willner," I shouted. "You know Hal Willner? Why haven't we talked about this before?"
"Oh, yeah... it was his friend Larry "Ratso" Sloman that introduced me to Nick Cave to photograph him for a SPIN.com interview in 2008.
Below is a photograph that was made later that day in 2013. Taken in the green room in Philadelphia supporting the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds first tour for "Push the Sky Away" (they'd come back to North America the following year and do another "Push the Sky Away" tour).
Left to Right: Nick Cave, Larry "Ratso" Sloman, Bad Seed drummer, Jim
Sclavunos and Hal Willner
In 2015, in fact, April 7th (five years to the day of his passing) Hal Willner presented at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl."
You can visit Nikolitsa Boutieros photography website: "Divine Light Photography" and see many beautiful photographs of Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Andy Kim, Courtney Love, Damon Fox and many others from that special night. This was just one excellent example of Hal Willner bringing people of all styles together.
In my poem, "Tearless Love" there is a self-portrait photograph of Nikolitsa Boutieros wearing one of Hal Willner's hats.
With heavy heart, we lost Grammy-winning record producer and long-time "Saturday Night Live" sketch music producer Hal Willner on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, to symptoms consistent with the coronavirus. He was 64.
There is a beautiful tribute to Hal Willner by NBC's Saturday Night Live:
Nick Cave gave a beautiful eulogy about his dear friend to Rolling Stone magazine that fully captures the astonishing life and loss of Hal Willner
R.I.P. (Rest in Peace) Hal Willner
Miles Patrick Yohnke painting by Nikolitsa Boutieros
For more information on Nikolitsa Boutieros, please follow these links:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds link
Larry "Ratso" Sloman link
Jim Sclavunos link
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: Remembering Hal Willner
Release Date: April 7, 2023
My dear friends, on this day three years ago, someone whom I'd admired and respected for over thirty years died. In my article titled: "Hal Willner," music icon Nick Cave, the cast of Saturday Night Live, and I talk about Grammy-winning record producer and long-time "Saturday Night Live" sketch music producer Hal Willner. Before you read the article, please enjoy this wonderful tribute to Hal Wilner by musician, Mark Kozelek:
Hal Willner and Joan Wasser turned up to a show of mine in New York City in December of 2002. I'd just gotten off stage when my publicist introduced us. I said: "Nice to meet you!" and hurried…