Mason Williams reached his peak in the late 1960s. A humorous scriptwriter and virtuosic acoustic guitar player and composer, Williams reached the top of the hit parade in 1968 with his classical folk guitar instrumental, "Classical Gas." Although it took six months for the single to become a chart-topping smash, it went on to win Grammy awards as Best Instrumental (Theme) Composition and Best Instrumental (Theme) Performance, as well as a Best Instrumental Orchestral Arrangement award for arranger Mike Post. An album featuring a re-recorded version of the tune with Mannheim Steamroller and Fresh Aire, Classical Gas, sold more than a million copies in 1987. The following year, Williams' album, Country Idyll, was nominated for a Grammy in the country music category for Best Instrumental Performance.
Buy CD
© 2008