Van Dyke Parks
Is he the one that sings or writes the music for Harold and the Purple Crayon?
Great kids music.
He is. He gets his main income from composing film scores and collaborated with Ry Cooder on lots of these. He also did the soundtrack for ‘Popeye’ (Robert Altman - brilliant stuff, seek out a 2nd hand LP) and ‘The Brave Little Toaster’. Great, modest, humble, and learned man. I met him two times in person - no friendlier guy in music than he.