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John Williams

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John Williams: Biography

  • Birth Place: Flushing, NY
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 02/08/1932, Aquarius
  • Profession: Composer
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John Williams Fast Facts:
  • Is the son of a movie studio musician.
  • Drafted into the Air Force, he conducted music as part of his service.
  • Best known for composing the scores of blockbuster movies, he began his compositional career on television series such as Wagon Train, Gilligan's Island, and Lost in Space.
  • Began his career in film score composing with the 1958 movie Daddy-O.
  • Followed in Arthur Fiedler's footsteps as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.
  • Collaborated with director Steven Spielberg on more than 20 of the director's films, including Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. (1982), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Jurassic Park (1993). It was Spielberg who recommended to George Lucas that Williams write the score for the Star Wars film franchise.
  • In 2005, his score for Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977) earned the top place on the American Film Institute's 100 Years of Film Scores.
  • In 2009, wrote the classical tune "Air and Simple Gifts" for the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.
  • Received the National Medal of Arts in 2009.
  • John Williams Relationships:
  • Samantha Winslow - Wife
  • Mark Williams - Son
  • Joseph S. Williams - Son
  • John Willams, Sr. - Father
  • Barbara Ruick - Wife (deceased)
  • Jennifer - Daughter
  • Esther Williams - Mother
  • John Williams Awards:
  • 1973 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1974 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1983 Golden Globe: Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1978 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 2004 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1975 Grammy: Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special - Winner
  • 1977 Grammy: Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special - Winner
  • 1977 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 1977 Grammy: Best Pop Instrumental Recording - Winner
  • 1978 Grammy: Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special - Winner
  • 1978 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 1979 Grammy: Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special - Winner
  • 1979 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 1980 Grammy: Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special - Winner
  • 1980 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 1981 Grammy: Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special - Winner
  • 1982 Grammy: Best Arrangement On An Instrumental Recording - Winner
  • 1982 Grammy: Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special - Winner
  • 1982 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 1994 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television - Winner
  • 2000 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 2006 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 2006 Grammy: Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media - Winner
  • 1967 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Scoring of Music--adaptation or treatment) - Nominee
  • 1969 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score--for a motion picture [not a musical]) - Nominee
  • 1973 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Dramatic Score) - Nominee
  • 1974 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Dramatic Score) - Nominee
  • 1975 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Winner
  • 1977 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1977 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Winner
  • 2012 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 2011 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 2011 BAFTA Awards: Best Music - Nominee
  • 1998 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Dramatic Score) - Nominee
  • 1973 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Song) - Nominee
  • 1995 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Song) - Nominee
  • 2008 Grammy: Best Instrumental Composition - Winner
  • 1991 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Song) - Nominee
  • 1972 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Dramatic Score) - Nominee
  • 1973 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation -or- Scoring: Adaptation) - Nominee
  • 1996 Golden Globe: Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 2009 Emmy: Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music - Winner
  • 1969 Emmy: Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition - Winner
  • 1990 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Song) - Nominee
  • 1972 Emmy: Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition - Winner
  • 1969 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Score of a Musical Picture--original or adaptation) - Nominee
  • 1971 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score) - Winner
  • 1988 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1987 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1962 Emmy: Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composed for Television - Nominee
  • 1983 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Winner
  • 1963 Emmy: Outstanding Achievement in Composing Original Music - Nominee
  • 2002 Emmy: Outstanding Music Direction - Nominee
  • 1989 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1985 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1976 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Winner
  • 2005 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 2002 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 2001 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1980 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 2000 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1999 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1981 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1982 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Winner
  • 1982 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Song) - Nominee
  • 1997 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Dramatic Score) - Nominee
  • 1996 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Dramatic Score) - Nominee
  • 1983 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1984 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1995 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Dramatic Score) - Nominee
  • 1995 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) - Nominee
  • 1993 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Winner
  • 1988 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1989 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 1990 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Score) - Nominee
  • 2006 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Winner
  • 2002 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 2000 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1999 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1998 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1994 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1990 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1981 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1979 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1978 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 1978 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Winner
  • 1975 Golden Globe: Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Nominee
  • 2005 BAFTA Awards: The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music - Winner
  • 2002 BAFTA Awards: The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music - Nominee
  • 1998 BAFTA Awards: The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music - Nominee
  • 1993 BAFTA Awards: Best Score - Nominee
  • 1988 BAFTA Awards: Best Score for a Film - Winner
  • 1982 BAFTA Awards: Best Score - Winner
  • 1981 BAFTA Awards: Best Original Film Music - Nominee
  • 1980 BAFTA Awards: Best Original Film Music - Winner
  • 1975 BAFTA Awards: The Anthony Asquith Award for Original Music for a Film - Winner
  • 1978 BAFTA Awards: The Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music - Nominee
  • 1978 BAFTA Awards: The Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music - Winner
  • College:
  • Attended University of California, Los Angeles, CA; The Juilliard School, New York, NY
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