John S. Wilson (music critic)

John Steuart Wilson (January 6, 1913 – August 27, 2002) was an American music critic and jazz radio host. He worked as a music critic for The New York Times for four decades, and was notably that paper's first critic to write regularly on jazz and other genres of popular music.[1]

John S. Wilson
Wilson, ca. 1940
Born	January 6, 1913 Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	August 27, 2002 (aged 89) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Music critic
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Wesleyan University
Subject	Music criticism, radio host
Spouse	Catherine Beecher (briefly in the 1930s) Susan Barnes ​ ​ (m. 1950; died 1981)​ Mary Moris Schmidt ​ (m. 1983)​ [1]
Children	2

Biography

Wilson hosted the nationally syndicated jazz performance series, The Manhattan Jazz Hour, which included the artists Phil Woods, Toots Thielemans, Dick Hyman, Sir Roland Hanna, Jim Hall, Joe Williams, Milt Hinton, and other jazz luminaries. The series was taped at The Manhattan Recording Company studio in New York City in 1986 and syndicated nationally by American Public Radio. Wilson interviewed the artists, who also performed live in front of a studio audience for the series.

Wilson died in Princeton, New Jersey at the age of 89.[2]

Bibliography

• Wilson, John S. (1958). Collector's Jazz: Traditional and Swing. J. B. Lippincott & Co. ASIN B000ZT0MYU.
• Wilson, John S. (1959). The Collector's Jazz: Modern. J. B. Lippincott & Co. ASIN B009T8CJ8A.

References

1. Pareles, Jon (August 28, 2002). "John S. Wilson, Jazz Critic, Is Dead at 89". The New York Times.
2. "John S. Wilson, 89; Music Critic, Author of Books on Jazz History". Los Angeles Times. 29 August 2002.