Adam Sandler, John Mulaney and more paid their respects to the late musician.
The Saturday Night Live family has lost one of their own.
Hal Willner, a GRAMMY-winning music producer who has been working behind the scenes of SNL since the '80s, died on Tuesday from complications of coronavirus, according to multiple sources. He was 64.
In the music industry, Willner was best known for producing genre-blending tribute albums, but also worked with everyone from Lou Reed to Marianne Faithfull. He won his GRAMMY in 2004 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his work producing Bill Frisell's record, Unspeakable.
Willner was hired as SNL's sketch music producer in 1981 and also worked on Lorne Michael's short-lived musical offshoot, Sunday Night. "In a weird way, I did do everything that I set out to do moving to New York," Willner said in a New York Times profile. "That’s incredible. So what can I possibly complain about?”
Following Willner's death, past and present SNL castmembers took to social media to reflect on his legacy. "RIP HAL WILLNER. An incredible person who so many of us will miss. Love u pal," tweeted Adam Sandler, alongside loving messages from John Mulaney, Seth Meyers and more.
P.S. You loved life completely and lived it intensely and I know you would find it funny that it took a global pandemic to take you away. I am going to miss you a lot.
— John Mulaney (@mulaney) April 7, 2020
The show's writing staff also paid their respects, with former writer Paula Pell tweeting, "Hal Willner was the gentlest genius at SNL. He bemoaned artists abandoning weirdness and authenticity but never gave up searching for it. We love you forever."
On March 28, Willner tweeted about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, including a graphic showing New York City as an epicenter and writing, "I always wanted to have a number one - but not this... In bed on upper west side"
Willner's final tweet, posted on March 29, sent love to fellow musician John Prine, who was hospitalized after contracting coronavirus: "John is a music giant. His songs are as good as it gets and he’s a spellbinding performer. Send good thoughts his way. 'I sound like that old guy down the street that doesn't chase you out of his apple tree.'"
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