William Maxwell Klages

Bill Klages, a pioneer in the field of television lighting design, passed away on Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Santa Monica, California. He was 97.

The winner of seven Primetime Emmy Awards, Bill enjoyed an illustrious career as a lighting designer, from the early days of black-and-white live television to today's sophisticated high-definition productions. In 2012, he was inducted into the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame - the only lighting designer to receive this honor - and in 2015, he was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

William Maxwell Klages was born on May 7, 1927, in Long Beach, New York. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University, and was a licensed Professional Engineer. Before embarking on his professional career, he served as a naval officer.

In 1948, Bill was hired by the NBC network to work at its flagship New York City studios as a maintenance engineer. He soon became a video engineer in the operations department, and debuted as a lighting director on the live dramatic series "Playwrights '56." Employing techniques used in 1940s moviemaking, he lighted landmark shows of early television starring entertainment legends Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Ernie Kovacs, and Perry Como.

In 1958, Bill married Julie Rosalie Light, an associate director at NBC. They enjoyed a loving marriage until Julie's death in 2009.

Throughout his career, Bill lighted an extraordinary range of acclaimed entertainment specials, award shows, dramatic productions, and series including: "The Kraft Music Hall," "My Name Is Barbra," "Sills and Burnett at the Met," "Baryshnikov by Tharp," "The Kennedy Center Honors," "The Dorothy Hamill Special," the Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Awards and many more.

Major events he designed include the 1984 Olympics Closing Ceremonies in Los Angeles and the "Liberty Weekend" Statue of Liberty Celebration, as well as four Republican National Conventions. Bill provided television lighting-facility design for the 16,000-seat Lakewood Church in Houston, and numerous other studios and venues. He also founded his own company of lighting designers, New Klages Inc., conducted seminars throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, and was a member of the International Photographers Guild as a Director of Photography.

Along with his seven Primetime Emmy wins, Bill received twenty-one Emmy nominations, as well as Monitor and Ace Awards, the 2004 "Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design" from the United States Institute of Theatre Technology, and the "Lighting Designer of the Year" award at the 2002 LDI (Live Design International) Convention.

A television trailblazer and a mentor for several generations of lighting designers, Bill Klages leaves a lasting and inspiring legacy in the entertainment industry. He is survived by his son, Jonathan Light Klages, a writer, editor, and musician, of Los Angeles, California.