Rick Wilkins (musician)

Rick Herbert Richard Wilkins (born 1 February 1937) is a Canadian composer, conductor, and tenor saxophonist. He is primarily known for his work as an arranger. He has worked extensively for CBC and CTV arranging, rehearsing, and often conducting music for television and radio programs of pop-music and variety entertainments. He has notably arranged music for television specials featuring Julie Amato, Tommy Ambrose, Guido Basso, the Canadian Brass, Burton Cummings, Anne Murray, and Wayne and Shuster among others. In 1976-1977 he worked as a music director for CBS in Los Angeles, where among his projects was directing music for a number of specials starring the Jackson Five.^[1]

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Wilkins began his career as a saxophonist and arranger with Jack Ryan's dance band in the mid-1950s. In 1957, he moved to Toronto where he studied privately with Gordon Delamont and at the Advanced School of Contemporary Music with Phil Nimmons. He quickly became involved with a number of dance bands in Toronto, including Benny Louis's band. In 1960, he started arranging music for Jack Kane and his orchestra with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He quickly became involved with arranging and writing music for CBC Television with whom he was highly active though the 1990s.^[1]

In 2002, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.

References