Who Was Hal Willner, Honored With an In Memoriam in the 50 Years of SNL Music Documentary?
The longtime SNL music coordinator received a tribute amid his interviews in Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music.
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music — the documentary co-directed by Questlove and Oz Rodriguez — takes a deep dive into Saturday Night Live's rich history of music and performances. Among the featured interviewees was Hal Willner, who played a big role on the show after joining on in1980. Willner worked at SNL up until his death in 2020.
Amid his sound bites in the documentary, 50 Years of SNL Music included a touching tribute: "Dedicated to the memory of Hal Willner." Here is why Willner was honored both in the documentary, and on the show itself shortly after his death.
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Who was Hal Willner, memorialized in 50 Years of SNL Music doc?
Willner was a record producer and longtime music coordinator for Saturday Night Live.
Outside of SNL, Willner was a prolific and respected music producer, producing albums and live performances for artists such as Lou Reed, who he was close friends with. In a statement, Laurie Anderson, who was married to Reed, called Willner one of her dearest friends — “hilarious, so tender and compassionate,” and “a soulful prince.”
Hal Willner booked Captain Beefheart and Miles Davis as SNL Musical Guests
Willner joined SNL in 1980, where he would choose recorded music for the sketches. He was also the person who brought several memorable Musical Guests to the show.
"I was responsible for a few bookings — Miles Davis and Captain Beefheart — both of which were considered disaster appearances," he said in footage shared in 50 Years of SNL Music, explaining that Davis had his back turned to the audience, while Captain Beefheart had "tones that a lot of people can't handle."
Though Captain Beefheart received a cold reception during the live show, in 50 Years of SNL Music, Jack White cited Captain Beefheart as "one of his favorite" SNL performances, one he would share a VHS bootleg of with friends.
"It's hard to explain what this show meant, it means a lot now, but at that time when the city was smaller, less people, the arts scene was more integrated," Willner said in Ladies & Gentlemen. "Music and comedy were brothers and sisters in arms, they were not separated."
Willner died in 2020 and was honored in SNL Season 45
Willner died in April 2020 at 64 years old. According to Variety, a spokesperson for Willner confirmed he “had symptoms consistent with COVID-19, though he hadn’t been diagnosed.”
In April 2020, the week of Willner's passing, the cast and creative team of SNL honored him with a tribute, where they shared their favorite memories of Willner, and sang "Perfect Day" by Reed.
"I've been through a lot over the last six years, and Hal has always treated me with open arms, warm smile and was just always the funniest dude," SNL alum Pete Davidson said in the video memorial. "And I just want to say that he will be very well missed. We're all thinking about you, and we love you very much."
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Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music is streaming on Peacock
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music premiered Monday, January 27 on NBC, and is available to stream on Peacock.
