William Olvis
William Patrick Olvis (December 23, 1957 – May 6, 2014) was an American composer for film and television. His most famous compositions were those for TV series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman and Gabriel's Fire, then Pros and Cons. He began his professional career in 1988 composing the score for the ABC telefilm Evil in Clear River and went on to compose and work on the scores for many TV series and films including Kill Me Again, 29th Street, Red Rock West, Separate Lives and Steal Big Steal Little.
Also recorded as William Patrick Olvis
William Olvis
- Name
- William Olvis
- Birth Name
- William Patrick Olvis
- Born
- 23 December 1957
- Birthplace
- Portland, Oregon, U.S.
- Died
- 6 May 2014
- Place of death
- Malibu, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Composer
- Nationality
- United States
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William Patrick Olvis (December 23, 1957 – May 6, 2014) was an American composer for film and television. His most famous compositions were those for TV series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman and Gabriel's Fire, then Pros and Cons. He began his professional career in 1988 composing the score for the ABC telefilm Evil in Clear River and went on to compose and work on the scores for many TV series and films including Kill Me Again, 29th Street, Red Rock West, Separate Lives and Steal Big Steal Little.
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museum · 52773a42-75c3-4be5-913d-cef937a31e48 · wikidata · Q16879619 · wikipedia · William Olvis
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William Olvis • Birth Name — William Patrick Olvis • Born — 23 December 1957 • Birthplace — Portland, Oregon, U.S. • Died — 6 May 2014 • Place of death — Malibu, California, U.S. • Genre — Film music • Occupation — Composer
Personal life
Personal life
Olvis' father, William Edward Olvis, was an actor and renowned opera singer. His mother, Dorothy Dallas Farnum, was also a renowned opera singer. Olvis had two brothers, Hugo and Steve, as well as two sisters, Yvette and Natasha. He was divorced from wife, Cathleen Young. He died of throat cancer aged 56 at his home in Malibu, California.
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Film and television composer.
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Portland.
Birth place
Malibu.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for William Olvis
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q16879619: William Olvis
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “William Olvis”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
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Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for William OlvisMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessInstitutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q16879619: William OlvisWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
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This entry is compiled from 4 catalogued sources across 4 independent registers. The registers consulted are Wikimedia Foundation, Internet Archive, MetaBrainz Foundation and Wikipedia. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 20 August 2026.
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