Biography
John Towner Williams is a composer, conductor, and pianist. The pieces he composes are very famous and popular. His most recognizable film scores include Star Wars, Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, E.T., Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Home Alone, and the first three Harry Potter films. Some other famous works include the theme song for the Olympic Games, the NBC Sunday night football, the NBC nightly news, the rededication of the Statue of Liberty, the DreamWorks Pictures production logo, and the television series Lost in Space.
Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and twenty one Grammy Awards. He has had forty five Academy Award nominations, which makes him the second most nominated person, after Walt Disney. Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2000 and the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004.
John Williams was born on February 8, 1932, in New York. In 1952 he was drafted into the U.S. Air Force, where e conducted and arranged music for the Air Force Band as part of his assignments. After his service, he entered the Julliard School, where he studied piano. During his time at Julliard, Williams worked as a jazz pianist in clubs, and was eventually hired to play in studios, where he played for Henry Mancini. Eventually, he began working as an orchestrator, composer and conductor at film studios.
Fun Facts
John Williams Jr. was also known as or credited as Little Johnny Love and Johnny Williams.
He has worked closley with Steven Spielberg, Henry Mancini, and George Lucas.
John Williams is still composing today, and did the music for Spielberg's War Horse, and TinTin, two films that have not yet been released.
