Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA) is an American composer, arranger, producer, instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, author, and actor based in Pasadena, California. Parks is perhaps best known for his collaborations with musician Brian Wilson, and especially for his lyrical contributions to The Beach Boys' legendary Smile album. Among the hundreds of artists he's worked with include Phil Ochs, Tim Buckley, Haruomi Hosono