One of the most celebrated and prolific composers in the history of film music, John Williams is renowned for creating some of the most iconic soundtracks of all time. During his six-decade career, Williams has composed music for over 100 films, as well as concert works and television scores.
Williams is particularly famous for his collaboration with directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Some of his most recognizable scores include those for the movies Star Wars (whose legendary main theme and 'Imperial March', in particular, have both become known and loved by millions) and Indiana Jones, whose swashbuckling 'Raiders March' perfectly encapsulates the adventurous spirit of the Indiana Jones films.
- We named John Williams one of the best movie composers of all time
Other John Williams masterpieces include the scores for Jaws - that iconic, suspenseful two-note motif is an absolute masterclass in tension-building; E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, whose sweeping, emotional score somehow encapsulates the adventure and ambition of 1980s cinema; and Harry Potter, whose magical 'Hedwig's Theme' has become synonymous with all things wizarding.
Read on for our intro to the composer who has soundtracked so many of the most magical moments in our cinematic lives.
How old is John Williams?
Williams was born on 8 February 1932 in the small community of Floral Park on Long Island, New York. His father, ‘Johnny’ Williams Sr., was a jazz drummer from Maine and his mother, Esther, was from Boston. His middle name is Towner, which was in fact his mother’s maiden name.
The composer is the eldest of four siblings. He has two brothers, Don and Jerry, and a sister, Joan. Both brothers are talented musicians in their own right, primarily percussionists. Don is also an arranger and conductor. They perform regularly in Hollywood orchestras and have appeared on many of their brother’s film scores.
Is John Williams married?
Williams was married to the American actress and singer Barbara Ruick from 1956 until her death in 1974. He married the American photographer Samantha Winslow in 1980.
Williams has three children (with Ruick). Joseph Williams is a musician and composer, perhaps best known as the lead singer of the band Toto. Mark Towner Williams is a drummer, much in demand as a session music, while Jennifer (Jenny) Williams-Gruska is a psychotherapist.
Williams has several grandchildren. Siblings Ethan and Barbara Gruska are better known as the vocal and instrumental duo The Belle Brigade, while his grandson Lionel Williams is the musician and multimedia artist known as Vinyl Williams. His granddaughter Hannah Ruick, meanwhile, is a singer-songwriter.
What took John Williams to Hollywood?
Williams’s father moved the family to Los Angeles in the late ’40s, when Johnny Sr. took up a position as percussionist in the Columbia Studio Orchestra. As a result the teenage Williams grew up around film scoring, alongside the jazz which was popular in the family home.
Williams was an accomplished pianist as a youngster and his ability to sightread quickly meant he was perfect as a performer for film scoring sessions. He played piano in a number of film score/soundtrack recordings, including those for Some Like it Hot, Touch of Evil and West Side Story.
You could say that Williams learned his craft on the job; where better to get a grasp of what it takes to compose and conduct film scores than on the stage at Twentieth Century Fox? Williams worked under legendary composers like Alfred Newman and Bernard Herrmann, going on to write arrangements. Soon he was writing his own scores for television, and then film.
What was John Williams's first film score?
Williams’s first feature film credit is for 1958’s Daddy-O (also known as Downbeat). He cut his teeth on TV shows like Playhouse 90, M Squad and Bachelor Father. His early scores were written under the name ‘Johnny’ Williams, which he went by professionally until the late 1960s.
What is John Williams's most famous film score?
There are too many to count really. He has written music for some of the world’s most popular films and franchises, beginning with the first true blockbuster, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). Two years later he scored George Lucas’s Star Wars (aka Episode IV – A New Hope). Those and his ‘Raiders March’ from 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark (the first Indiana Jones film) are probably the most familiar…. But then there’s Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Superman – The Movie. See, too many!
What makes John Williams's music so iconic?
Several factors come into play in making Williams's film music so unforgettable and powerful. They include:
Memorable melodies
Williams creates powerful, easily recognizable themes that stick with audiences. His use of leitmotifs - musical phrases associated with characters, ideas, or events - helps to create a strong emotional connection. The heroic Star Wars Imperial March, the adventurous Indiana Jones theme, and the sorcerous 'Hedwig’s Theme' from Harry Potter are all great examples of Williams's incredible gift for using melody to paint a mood or introduce a character.
Symphonic orchestration
Williams draws heavily from the classical tradition, incorporating those lush symphonic textures reminiscent of composers like Gustav Holst, Richard Strauss, and Aaron Copland. This orchestral grandeur helps to give his music a timeless, deeply powerful feel.
Versatility
From historical dramas (Schindler's List, Lincoln) to science fiction (Star Wars, Jurassic Park) and much in between, John Williams has been able to adapt his style to suit the genre of movie for which he's composing, while always maintaining his unique and unmistakable voice.
Emotional resonance
Williams has an uncanny ability to convey a wide range of emotions in music. Think of the sense of awe and wonder in E.T., the suspense and dread of Jaws, or the triumph of Schindler’s List: Williams can convey all these very diverse emotions with superb eloquence and immediacy. Indeed, like the very best movie composers, he enhances the narrative by aligning the music with the film’s emotional arcs.
Mass cultural impact
He may be known as a movie composer, but in truth Williams's music transcends film. He's become part of global culture. Pieces like the Star Wars fanfare and the Olympic Fanfare and Theme, for the 1984 Olympic Games, have acquired a life far beyond their original cinema contexts.
Working with visionary directors
Williams's two longest and most fruitful partnerships have been with the directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, two movie-makers who share his ambition and sense of scale, whose iconic films have provided a perfect canvas for his compositions. This brilliant synergy between visuals and sound has been a defining factor in Williams's enormous success.
Technical mastery
Last but most definitely not least, Williams's composing style is able to be innovative and adventurous because it's so grounded in the key musical building blocks - music theory, orchestration, and composition. From this place of technical mastery, Williams is able to use unconventional rhythms, chord progressions, and instrumentation to captivate and surprise his audiences.
John Williams's music resonates across generations because it blends technical brilliance with universal emotional appeal, creating an enduring legacy in both cinema and popular culture.
The John Williams style
Williams is renowned for his brilliant ability to blend classical techniques with modern sensibilities, drawing on the influence of composers like Richard Wagner and Gustav Holst. You can hear echoes of the Ring Cycle and The Planets, respectively, in his music, as well as traces of the soundworld of other great Austro-German composers such as Anton Bruckner and Richard Strauss. His orchestral scores are known for their grand, sweeping themes and their ability to enhance the emotional depth of the stories they accompany.
- Parsifal: a guide to Wagner's most grippingly transcendent experience
- Ranked: Bruckner's monumental, deeply spiritual symphonies
Williams continues to inspire generations of music lovers and composers alike, leaving an indelible mark on the twin worlds of cinema and music.
How many Oscars has John Williams won?
John Williams has won five Oscars for his music. He won his first Oscar in 1972 for the musical Fiddler on the Roof, and Oscars followed for Jaws, Star Wars, ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, and Schindler’s List. He has also had more than 50 Oscar nominations - and is the most-nominated living person in the history of the Oscars. #funfact
- Who has won the most Oscars for film music? (clue: it's actually not John Williams)
- Four of the best John Williams recordings
John Williams: three great recordings
John Williams in Vienna (DG)
John Williams Conducts The Star Wars Trilogy (Sony Classical)
John Williams & Steven Spielberg – The Ultimate Collection (Sony Classical)
Read our reviews of the latest John Williams recordings here
