Sean Hughes, a founding member of Musicians At Play, is a Hollywood native, the third generation in a show business family. In a fifty-year career, he worked in many areas of entertainment–theatre, film, music, recording, set decoration, research and television. During high school summers, Hughes had two jobs. During the day, at Warner Bros/Reprise Records, he mailed Frank Sinatra albums and, increasingly, rock and roll “singles” to nationwide radio stations. At night, a post at the Hollywood Bowl’s stage door enabled him to meet Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Rudolph Nureyev and others, and to enjoy classical, jazz and pop music, including appearances by The Beatles.
Following three years in college, where he was the school’s newspaper editor, Hughes began a five-year stint with The Smothers Brothers as a T.V. production assistant, road manager, and as the personal assistant to Tom Smothers. A seven-month hiatus in London, in 1972-73, was spent doing research for screenplays about Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. On his return to Hollywood, Hughes became a stagehand which soon led to his long-running position at CBS-Television City: for more than three decades, he was the production coordinator on “The Price Is Right”, in charge of all the game show’s prizes.
Now retired, Hughes spends his time writing occasional on-line music and film reviews. Since 2019, Sean has assisted his friend, the legendary composer, arranger, band leader Bill “Willis” Holman, who is on M.A.P.’s advisory board. He also works backstage at the several live concert events M.A.P. normally produces each year.
Hughes says, “My reward for my involvement with Musicians At Play is seeing the new confidence and improved skills exhibited by high school students after our professional mentors provide them with private and group coaching.
