b. 24 August 1938, Abilene, Texas, USA. This Oklahoma City University mathematics student was a self-taught guitarist who, after moonlighting in local venues, toured North America with the Wayfarers Trio before enlistment in the US Navy. On demobilization, he peddled topical tunes on the Los Angeles folk club circuit where he met the Limeliters' Glenn Yarbrough who introduced him to the Smothers Brothers. When this comedy duo began performing his compositions on their nationally broadcast television series, other acts - among them the Kingston Trio and Petula Clark - began recording his material. His most lucrative song was the 1968 novelty UK number 1 "Cinderella Rockefella", (with Nancy Ames) for Esther And Abi Ofarim. That year, he enjoyed a million-seller in his own right with the Grammy Award-winning "Classical Gas", an orchestrated instrumental (from The Mason Williams Phonograph Record song cycle).

Listen to Mason Williams at Finetune.

• (2005)  Rhino Hi-Five: Mason Williams
• (2005)  Music, 1968-1971
• (1992)  Music (1968-1971)
• (1988)  Phonograph Record

• Classical Gas
• Greensleeves
• Baroque-A -Nova
• The Brothers Theme (aka Smother Brothers Theme)
• La Chanson De Claudine

• Cat Stevens
• Elton John
• Neil Diamond
• James Taylor
• Gordon Lightfoot
• Bob Dylan
• Johnny Cash
• Paul Simon
• John Denver
• Van Morrison
• Carly Simon
• Crosby, Stills & Nash
• John Lennon
• Judy Collins
• Neil Young
• Jackson Browne
• Don McLean
• Sarah McLachlan
• Donovan
• Joan Baez

• hrenchuk1392
• Laurieivy
• go2surf
• Stones
• Yanina01
• jdiaz998

• Laurieivy on 2007-08-27 17:30:10.983:
  Mason Williams played at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater for a benefit concert for the Rebuilding of the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony. The concert was "the bomb" Classical Gas was my favorite as it is for many others.. Thank you Mason for a fabulous evening.
• askthedj2007 on 2007-07-08 05:14:19.873:
  When I was a teen-ager and had a "bad day" this song really lifted my spirit!!