Harold Wheeler (musician) facts for kids

William Harold Wheeler Jr. (born July 14, 1943) is an American music expert. He is known for many roles in music, like being an orchestrator, conductor, pianist, composer, record producer, and music director.

Harold Wheeler has been nominated for many important awards, including the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award, for his amazing orchestrations. He won the 2003 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations for the musical Hairspray.

Harold Wheeler's Music Career

Harold Wheeler started his career in the 1960s. He became the music director (MD) for the famous singer Burt Bacharach. This was a big deal because he was the first African-American MD for a major pop artist.

During that time, he also created music arrangements for Tony Orlando and Nina Simone. An arranger decides how different instruments will play a song.

Wheeler was chosen to be the Music Conductor for the 76th Academy Awards. This made him only the second African-American conductor in the history of the Academy Awards. He also helped arrange music for the 79th Academy Awards.

He was one of two conductors at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics. The other conductors were famous composers John Williams and Paul Shaffer.

Harold Wheeler was also the music director for the popular TV show Dancing with the Stars on the ABC Network. He worked on the show for its first 17 seasons. In 2014, another bandleader, Ray Chew, took over his role.

Awards and Honors

Harold Wheeler has received special recognition for his long and successful career.

In 2008, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP Theatre Awards. This award celebrates people who have made a big impact in theater.

In 2019, he received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. The Tony Awards are very important awards for Broadway shows. This award honored his many years of excellent work in theater.

About Harold Wheeler's Life

Harold Wheeler was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He went to Howard University, a well-known college. There, he met his future wife, the actress Hattie Winston.

Stage Productions

Harold Wheeler has worked on many Broadway and stage shows. Here are some of the musicals and plays where he helped with the music:

• Promises, Promises (1968) – Music Director, dance arrangements
• Coco (1969) – Dance arrangements
• Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death (1971) – Music direction and supervision
• Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971) – Music Supervisor
• Don't Play Us Cheap! (1972) – Music Supervisor
• Love For Love (1974) – featuring songs by
• The Wiz (1975) – music orchestrated by
• Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music (1981) – Music Director
• Dreamgirls (1981) – Music Supervisor, music orchestrated by
• Little Me (1982) – music orchestrated by
• The Tap Dance Kid (1983) – Music Supervisor, music arranged by, vocal arrangements by
• The Wiz (1984) – music orchestrated by
• The Three Musketeers (1984) – additional orchestrations by
• Leader of the Pack (1985) – opening dance sequence composed and orchestrated by
• Grind (1985) – additional orchestrations by
• Dreamgirls (1987) – Music Supervisor, music orchestrated by
• Carrie (1988) – Music Supervisor, music orchestrated by
• Tommy Tune Tonite! (1992) – arrangements and/or orchestrations by
• The Life (1997) – music orchestrated by
• Side Show (1997) – music orchestrated by
• Little Me (1998) – music orchestrated by
• Swing! (1999) – music orchestrated by
• The Full Monty (2000) – music orchestrated by
• Hairspray (2002) – music orchestrated by
• Never Gonna Dance (2003) – music orchestrated by
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005) – music orchestrated by
• Lennon (2005) – music orchestrated by
• Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway (2011) – arrangements and orchestrations by
• Side Show (2014) – music orchestrated by
• Ain't Too Proud (2019) – music orchestrated by

Music Recordings

Harold Wheeler has also worked on many music recordings and soundtracks. Here are some of them:

• Nina Simone – Here Comes the Sun (1971) – Arranger, conductor & producer
• Bruce Springsteen – Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (1973) – Played piano on "Blinded By the Light" and "Spirit In The Night"
• Grind (1985) – Additional orchestrations
• The Harold Wheeler Consort – Black Cream (1975) RCA BGL1-0849 – Producer, arranger, piano/keyboards/organ/Moog, composer credit for tracks "Black Cream" and "Color Me Soul"
• Meco – Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk (1977) – arranger & producer
• The Wiz (1978) – soundtrack
• Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991) – original music
• The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) - original score
• Mississippi Rising (2005) – Arranger and conductor

As a Session Musician

Harold Wheeler also played instruments for other artists' recordings. This is called being a "sideman" or "session musician." With Bernard Purdie

• Purdie Good! (Prestige, 1971)
• Stand by Me (Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get) (Mega, 1971)

See also

In Spanish: Harold Wheeler para niños