John Williams is an undisputed film score master and the esteemed composer of many major movies. Williams wrote music for movies that included Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Harry Potter movie series, and many others. Williams has also had a close relationship with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas that goes back to the 1970s.
Many people may not realize that John Williams composes post-romantic music. The esteemed composer is also a jazz enthusiast and accomplished pianist who used to accompany Mahalia Jackson during her performances. John Williams’ recording career dates back to the 1950s. For over half a century, Williams has had a career that includes gospel music, concertos, chamber, and orchestral music.
Since he started writing music for films, John Williams was asked to participate in other performances. Williams was involved in a tribute to Leonard Bernstein and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1988. In 1999, President Bill Clinton commissioned Williams to be a part of the Journey that was one of the Millennium celebrations.
John Williams won many awards for composing movie soundtracks. Williams won five Academy Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards in the United States of America. England awarded Mr. Williams seven British Academy Awards. John Williams was also honored at the International Olympic Committee.
The film composer was born John Towner Williams in the year 1932. Williams was born in Floral Park, New York, which is part of Nassau County in New York state. Composer Williams moved to Los Angeles, California, when he was 16 years old. Williams was a member of the North Hollywood High School class of 1950. North Hollywood High was a hotbed type of school for the children of music, movie, and television stars. John Williams graduated from the University of California and after college, Williams served in the U.S. Airforce. After serving time in the Airforce, he enrolled in the Julliard School in NYC. When Williams was not in classes, he spent his time playing in jazz clubs. Back in his Julliard School days, John Williams became friends with Henry Mancini, who’s famous for scoring the music for Love Story and The Pink Panther.
