John Williams (3) (1932–)
Author of Star Wars Trilogy (Piano/Vocal/Songbook)
For other authors named John Williams, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
John Williams was born February 8, 1932 in Floral Park, Long Island, New York. Williams discovered music almost immediately, as the son of a percussionist for CBS Radio and the Raymond Scott Quintet. He moved to Los Angeles in 1948, and started experimenting with arranging tunes; at age 15, he show more decided he was going to become a concert pianist; at 19 he premiered his first original composition, a piano sonata. Williams attended both UCLA and the Los Angeles City College, studying orchestration under MGM musical associate Robert van Eps while being privately tutored by composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He conducted for the first time during a three year stint in the U.S. Air Force. After he returned to the states, he went to Julliard, where renowned piano pedagogue Madame Rosina Lhevinne helped Williams hone his performance skills. He played in jazz clubs to pay his way. Williams found work with the Hollywood studios as a piano player, eventually accompanying such fare such as the TV series "Peter Gunn", South Pacific, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, and To Kill a Mockingbird. At age 24, Williams became a staff arranger at Columbia and then at 20th Century-Fox. The orchestrating gigs led to serious composing jobs for television, notably "Gilligan's Island", "Lost in Space" and his Emmy-winning scores for Heidi and Jane Eyre. Daddy-O and Because They're Young brought his original music to the big theatres, but he was typecast doing comedies. The Reivers is what caught the ear of director Steven Spielberg, then preparing The Sugarland Express. When Spielberg reunited with Williams on Jaws, Williams gained his first Academy Award for Original Score, and Spielberg promptly recommended Williams to a friend, George Lucas. Star Wars became the best selling score-only soundtrack of all time. For the next five years, Williams wrote big scores for big films, including The Fury, Superman, 1941 and Raiders of the Lost Ark. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial brought about his third Oscar, and The River, Empire of the Sun, The Accidental Tourist, and Born on the Fourth of July were also hits, but Williams returned to television with work on Amazing Stories and themes for NBC, including NBC Nightly News. Williams intended to retire during the 1990s, particularly after Jurassic Park and the Oscar-winning Schindler's List, but he went on to produce scores for two Home Alone films, JFK, Nixon, Sleepers, Seven Years in Tibet, Saving Private Ryan , Angela's Ashes , and a return to familiar territory with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. His relationships with Spielberg and Lucas continue in Artificial Intelligence: AI, the remaining Star Wars prequels, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, and a promised fourth Indiana Jones film. One highlight is his musical magic for the world of Harry Potter, which he also arranged into a concert suite geared toward teaching children about the symphony orchestra. Williams was conductor of the Boston Pops for 12 years, as well as working extensively with the London Symphony Orchestra. He currently serves as the Pop's Conductor Laureate. Williams is the most Oscar-nominated living individual, with an astounding 41 nominations. In 2003 his total increased to 42, after receiving a nomination for Catch Me If You Can. He is the composer of the biggest-selling instrumental single of all-time, and the only one to be officially awarded Platinum status for Star Wars Theme and Cantina Band. Williams has earned more than twenty Gold and Platinum Records, two Emmys, three Golden Globes, 18 Grammys, National Board of Review (including a Career Achievement Award), 6 Saturns, and 7 BAFTA citations, along with honorary doctorate degrees numbering in the teens. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: John Williams (3)
Series
Works by John Williams
Star Wars: Story, Music and Photos From the Original Motion Picture (Read-along with 33 1/3 Record) (1979) 35 copies
The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration: John Williams Conducts His Classic Scores For the Films of Steven Spielberg (1991) 11 copies
Three Pieces from Schindler's List: Violin and Piano (John Williams Signature Edition - String) (1994) 9 copies
Williams: American Journey 9 copies
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2008) 8 copies
Double Trouble & a Window to the Past: Flute Book (Selections from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban) (2004) 7 copies
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2011) — Composer — 6 copies
Digital Jukebox 5 copies
The Berlin Concert — Composer — 4 copies
Joy To The World 4 copies
Tema de Superman (tema principal) 4 copies
Aisle Seat: Great Film Music 4 copies
Pops Stoppers 3 copies
Amazing Stories (Television Series - Scores To Episodes "The Mission" And "Dorothy And Ben") (1999) 3 copies
Two Themes from Harry Potter And the Sorcerer's Stone: For Solo Harp (John Williams Signature Edition - String) (2001) 3 copies
The Long Goodbye, limited-edition CD 3 copies
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets: Selected Themes from the Motion Picture: Alto Sax (2003) 3 copies
Star Wars Medley 3 copies
A Tribute to the Music of Star Wars — Composer — 3 copies
The Witches of Eastwick: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Composer — 3 copies
Music for Stage and Screen: The Red Pony; Born on the Fourth of July; Quiet City; The Reivers 2 copies
Popular piano solos. Book 15 : complete piano solos of sixteen popular standards of today (1995) 2 copies
Dry Your Tears, Afrika - From Amistad For Choir with Concert Band Accompaniment and Optional Strings 2 copies
Star Wars Instrumental Solos (Movies I-VI): Trumpet, Book & CD (Pop Instrumental Solos Series) (2009) 2 copies
Music from the Harry Potter Films 2 copies
The Five Sacred Trees / Tree Line / Symphony No. 2, Op. 132 "Mysterious Mountain" / Old and Lost Rivers (1997) 2 copies
Telarc Collection 4 2 copies
Holst : The planets + Strauss : Thus spake Zarathustra + Williams : Close encounters of the third kind {suite} + Star… (1998) — Composer — 2 copies
Pops a la Russe [sound recording] 2 copies
Star Wars Instrumental Solos (Movies I-VI): Trombone, Book & CD (Pop Instrumental Solo Series) (2009) 2 copies
Hedwig's Theme (from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince): Five Finger Piano, Sheet (5 Finger) (2009) 2 copies
Raiders March (Indiana Jones) 2 copies
The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration 2 copies
Exsultate Justi 2 copies
Star Wars Instrumental Solos (Movies I-VI): Horn in F, Book & CD (Pop Instrumental Solos Series) (2009) 2 copies
The John Williams collection 2 copies
Theme from Schindler's List 2 copies
The Poseidon Adventure 1 copy
Schindler's List Soundtrack 1 copy
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Instrumental Solos for Strings: Violin, Book & CD (Pop Instrumental… (2008) 1 copy
Three Pieces from Memoirs of a Geisha: Cello and Piano (John Williams Signature Editions) (2008) 1 copy
Missouri Breaks 1 copy
From Sousa to Spielberg 1 copy
From Bach to Star Wars 1 copy
The red pony {selections} + Quiet city {for strings, trumpet & english horn} + Williams : Born on the fourth of July… — Composer; Conductor, some editions — 1 copy
Stars Wars 1 copy
John Williams Trilogy 1 copy
Themes From Harry Potter 1 copy
Soundtrack: Angela's Ashes 1 copy
Star Wars/Raiders March 1 copy
Music in film 1 copy
Star Wars Instrumental Solos for Strings (Movies I-VI): Viola, Book & CD (Pop Instrumental Solo Series) (2009) 1 copy
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Instrumental Solos for Strings: Viola, Book & CD (Pop Instrumental… (2008) 1 copy
Hymn to the Fallen 1 copy
Selections from the Motion Picture Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Piano Solos (2008) 1 copy
Concerto 1 copy
Selected themes from the motion picture Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets : horn, book and CD (2003) 1 copy
Hymn to the Fallen - Deluxe Score (From the Paramount and Dreamworks Motion Picture "Saving Private Ryan"). For… (1998) 1 copy
Pops in Space 1 copy
Pops Britannia 1 copy
When You're Alone 1 copy
Star Wars and Other Sci-Fi Themes — Composer — 1 copy
John Williams' First Grade Supplementary Material for Piano Connecting the First and Second Grades (1934) 1 copy
The Mission Theme 1 copy
Sound the Bells! 1 copy
Encore! 1 copy
Great Moments in Cinema 1 copy
Double Trouble & a window to the Past, Tenor Sax, Piano: Selections from Harry Potter and The prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 1 copy
Battle Of The Heroes 1 copy
The Missouri Breaks 1 copy
Patriot Score 1 copy
Parade of the Ewoks 1 copy
Twelve Days of Christmas 1 copy
Olympic Fanfare and Theme 1 copy
pops in love 1 copy
Associated Works
The Adventures of Indiana Jones: The Complete DVD Movie Collection: Raiders of the Lost Ark / Temple of Doom / Last… (2003) — Composer — 423 copies
Dear Brigitte [1965 film] — Actor — 6 copies
Tom Sawyer: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Conductor — 3 copies
Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra — Composer — 2 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Williams, John Towner
- Other names
- Williams, Johnny
- Birthdate
- 1932-02-08
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Floral Park, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- Los Angeles, California, USA
New York, New York, USA - Education
- University of California, Los Angeles
Juilliard School
North Hollywood High School, North Hollywood, California, USA - Occupations
- composer
conductor
pianist - Short biography
- 3. The most prolific "author" here on LT is the US composer, John Towner Williams b. 1932. Do not confuse with the Australian guitarist in 32.
Members
Reviews
Great Moments in Cinema by John Williams
missing flute 1
CDWIL5 |
Tracklist
1 Main Title 2:18
2 Schoolboys Or Cowboys? 1:09
3 Learning The Ropes 1:28
4 Wild Horses 1:40
5 Deserted 1:40
6 Crazy Alice 1:58
7 Alternate Main Title 1:27
8 The Ranch 2:31
9 Overture 2:30
10 Bedtime Story 1:44
11 Rustlers 1:16
12 Stealing Back The Heard 1:22
13 Nightfall 1:53
14 A Sad Day 1:33
15 Into The Trap 2:12
16 The Drive 1:42
17 Summer's Over 1:29
Tracklist
1 Main Title 2:18
2 Schoolboys Or Cowboys? 1:09
3 Learning The Ropes 1:28
4 Wild Horses 1:40
5 Deserted 1:40
6 Crazy Alice 1:58
7 Alternate Main Title 1:27
8 The Ranch 2:31
9 Overture 2:30
10 Bedtime Story 1:44
11 Rustlers 1:16
12 Stealing Back The Heard 1:22
13 Nightfall 1:53
14 A Sad Day 1:33
15 Into The Trap 2:12
16 The Drive 1:42
17 Summer's Over 1:29
CDWIL4 |
Tracklist
A1 Main Title And The Attack On The Jakku Village 6:25
A2 The Scavenger 3:39
A3 I Can Fly Anything 3:10
A4 Rey Meets BB-8 1:31
A5 Follow Me 2:54
A6 Rey’s Theme 3:11
A7 The Falcon 3:32
A8 That Girl With The Staff 1:58
B1 The Rathtars! 4:05
B2 Finn’s Confession 2:08
B3 Maz’s Counsel 3:07
B4 The Starkiller 1:50
B5 Kylo Ren Arrives At The Battle 2:00
C1 The Abduction 2:23
C2 Han And Leia 4:41
C3 March Of The Resistance 2:34
C4 Snoke 2:03
C5 On The Inside 2:06
C6 Torn Apart 4:19
C7 The Ways Of The Force 3:14
C8 Scherzo For X-Wings 2:32
D1 Farewell And The Trip 4:55
D2 The Jedi Steps And Finale 8:51… (more)
Tracklist
A1 Main Title And The Attack On The Jakku Village 6:25
A2 The Scavenger 3:39
A3 I Can Fly Anything 3:10
A4 Rey Meets BB-8 1:31
A5 Follow Me 2:54
A6 Rey’s Theme 3:11
A7 The Falcon 3:32
A8 That Girl With The Staff 1:58
B1 The Rathtars! 4:05
B2 Finn’s Confession 2:08
B3 Maz’s Counsel 3:07
B4 The Starkiller 1:50
B5 Kylo Ren Arrives At The Battle 2:00
C1 The Abduction 2:23
C2 Han And Leia 4:41
C3 March Of The Resistance 2:34
C4 Snoke 2:03
C5 On The Inside 2:06
C6 Torn Apart 4:19
C7 The Ways Of The Force 3:14
C8 Scherzo For X-Wings 2:32
D1 Farewell And The Trip 4:55
D2 The Jedi Steps And Finale 8:51… (more)
CDWIL3 |
Tracklist
A1 Star Wars (Main Theme) 5:49
A2 Yoda's Theme 3:24
A3 The Training Of A Jedi Knight 3:17
A4 The Heroics Of Luke And Han 6:18
B1 The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) 2:59
B2 Departure Of Boba Fett 3:30
B3 Han Solo And The Princess 3:25
B4 Hyperspace 4:02
B5 The Battle In The Snow 3:48
C1 The Asteroid Field 4:10
C2 The City In The Clouds 6:29
C3 Rebels At Bay 5:23
C4 Yoda And The Force 4:01
D1 The Duel 4:07
D2 The Magic Tree 3:32
D3 Lando's Palace 3:52
D4 Finale 6:28… (more)
Tracklist
A1 Star Wars (Main Theme) 5:49
A2 Yoda's Theme 3:24
A3 The Training Of A Jedi Knight 3:17
A4 The Heroics Of Luke And Han 6:18
B1 The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) 2:59
B2 Departure Of Boba Fett 3:30
B3 Han Solo And The Princess 3:25
B4 Hyperspace 4:02
B5 The Battle In The Snow 3:48
C1 The Asteroid Field 4:10
C2 The City In The Clouds 6:29
C3 Rebels At Bay 5:23
C4 Yoda And The Force 4:01
D1 The Duel 4:07
D2 The Magic Tree 3:32
D3 Lando's Palace 3:52
D4 Finale 6:28… (more)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 335
- Also by
- 75
- Members
- 2,334
- Popularity
- #10,989
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 22
- ISBNs
- 846
- Languages
- 29
- Favorited
- 1
