David Wendell Guion
1892–1981 (age 89)
Composer
Biography
David Wendell Guion was a composer and arranger who brought the sounds of the American West into concert halls, most notably through his popularization of the folk standard "Home on the Range." His skillful blend of classical technique and folk sensibility helped preserve these songs for new audiences and nurtured a sense of national identity through music.
Guion also served as an educator who encouraged young musicians to seek authenticity in their art. His lifelong devotion to melody and storytelling remains audible in the gentle, sunlit harmonies he left behind.