This page is about the musician/comedy writer. For the creator of the webcomic 1/0 (Mason Williams, a.k.a. Tailsteak), see 1/0.
Mason Williams (b. August 24, 1938 in Abilene, Texas) is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his popular guitar instrumental " Classical Gas". Williams wrote for the Smothers Brothers show and is also an eclectic poet and lyricist.
Mason Williams emerged in the late 1960s as a strong force in television and music circles. In 1968 he won two Grammy awards for his unique composition for guitar, "Classical Gas". That same year he also won an Emmy award for his work as a comedy writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Mason is perhaps most widely known as a composer and recording artist. He has recorded more than dozen albums, five on the Warner Bros. label (The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, The Mason Williams Ear Show, Music, Handmade, and Sharepickers). "Classical Gas" was released as a single from The Mason Williams Phonograph Record in 1968. "Classical Gas" won three Grammys that year for "Best Instrumental (theme) Composition", "Best Instrumental (theme) Performance", and "Best Instrumental Orchestra Arrangement" (Mike Post, arranger).
In 1987, Mason teamed up with Mannheim Steamroller of Fresh Aire fame, to release a new album on the American Gramaphone label. The album, titled Classical Gas, includes a remake of his 1968 Grammy award winning song. Another cut from this album, "Country Idyll", was a 1988 nominee for a Grammy in the Country Music category for "Best Instrumental Performance by a Soloist, Group or Orchestra". The album went gold in 1991.
Mason has released (on the Real Music label) an acoustic instrumental album of Christmas/holiday music album titled A Gift of Song, featuring arrangements of traditional carols and original compositions. In 1992 the Vanguard label released Music 1968–1971, a compilation of cuts from his five Warner Bros. albums recorded in the late '60s and 'early 70s.