Anybody know anything about the man himself?

[Jess 0]

Hi, im doing a report on John Williams at school as we have to choose our most influential practitioner and write 3000 words on them so i thought who could be more influential than the man himself, aha.

Basically i need to find out about what inspired him to become a film score producer and what aspects of his personal/working life may have influenced his style or anything really, does anybody have anything they can share with me?

Thanks guys

[Datameister 2,042]

He was best known as a jazz musician originally - back when he was Johnny Williams. Although he doesn't write much jazz anymore, there are still influences in the types of chords and rhythms he uses. Professionally speaking, he got his start as a studio musician, playing piano for other people's scores. Then he gradually moved into orchestrating and arranging, followed by some television scoring and finally actual film scoring.

Unfortunately, resources on John Williams' life are rather scarce, but you can find interviews on YouTube and whatnot.

[Jess 0]

He was best known as a jazz musician originally - back when he was Johnny Williams. Although he doesn't write much jazz anymore, there are still influences in the types of chords and rhythms he uses. Professionally speaking, he got his start as a studio musician, playing piano for other people's scores. Then he gradually moved into orchestrating and arranging, followed by some television scoring and finally actual film scoring.

Unfortunately, resources on John Williams' life are rather scarce, but you can find interviews on YouTube and whatnot.

Thanks very much thats great! i certainly didn't know that aha thank you x

[Koray Savas 2,251]

There was that one article someone posted here not too long ago, that had quotes from himself and his daughter about his personal life.

[Jess 0]

There was that one article someone posted here not too long ago, that had quotes from himself and his daughter about his personal life.

Thanks very much ill have a look x

[Jay 37,352]

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/05/11/john_williams_celebrating_30_years_with_the_boston_pops/?page=full

[Jess 0]

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/05/11/john_williams_celebrating_30_years_with_the_boston_pops/?page=full

Thank youuu x

[indy4 155]

There a great interview with Richard Kaye where JW talks about his beginnings. If you don't have time to get it soon, I can give the important aspects:

- he started as a piano player for the Columbia Studios Orchestra in the mid 1950s

- Morris Stollof (spelling?) was the head

- he was 24 when he made the audition

- they worked Mon-Fri, doing all different genres and types of scores

- he started by orchestrating little sequences for friends

- at 26 in 1959, Stollof asked JW to compose his first score (in the interview he says Because They're Young, but I though Daddy-0 was his first score...)

- unless a giant (bernstein, etc.) came in, STollof was used to conducting all the scores. He had to visit the hopstial during the recording of JW's score, so JW got to conduct it

- now he is a "defensive conductor" or something like that, meaning he always conducts his own works for fear of another conductor interpreting them differently

[Jess 0]

There a great interview with Richard Kaye where JW talks about his beginnings. If you don't have time to get it soon, I can give the important aspects:

- he started as a piano player for the Columbia Studios Orchestra in the mid 1950s

- Morris Stollof (spelling?) was the head

- he was 24 when he made the audition

- they worked Mon-Fri, doing all different genres and types of scores

- he started by orchestrating little sequences for friends

- at 26 in 1959, Stollof asked JW to compose his first score (in the interview he says Because They're Young, but I though Daddy-0 was his first score...)

- unless a giant (bernstein, etc.) came in, STollof was used to conducting all the scores. He had to visit the hopstial during the recording of JW's score, so JW got to conduct it

- now he is a "defensive conductor" or something like that, meaning he always conducts his own works for fear of another conductor interpreting them differently

Thanks very much thats amazing x

[Incanus 5,714]

I suggest you visit this page where there are many JW related articles, many from the Boston Globe, before, during and after Williams' tenure as the conductor of Boston Pops, written by a music journalist Richard Dyer.

A good article that provides basic info on Williams on that site is "Where is John Williams Coming From?" but there are many other interesting insights to the man there.

I hope this helps!

And I recommed these articles to everyone here.

[Jess 0]

I suggest you visit this page where there are many JW related articles, many from the Boston Globe, before, during and after Williams' tenure as the conductor of Boston Pops, written by a music journalist Richard Dyer.

A good article that provides basic info on Williams on that site is "Where is John Williams Coming From?" but there are many other interesting insights to the man there.

I hope this helps!

And I recommed these articles to everyone here.

Nice one thanks x

[Diego 21]

He likes turtlenecks... a lot.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

He likes turtlenecks... a lot.

And he has webbed feet, which he considers a major factor in his success.

[Melange 446]

He likes turtlenecks... a lot.

"Listen,to be a member of the John Williams appreciation society you'd have to 'really' love Turtleknecks"

"I do!"

"Oh yeah? How much?"

"A LOT!"

"Right, you're in"

[Quintus 5,399]

He got the Schindler's List gig 'coz Mozart is a fossil.

[Incanus 5,714]

Classic JW fan discussion. It always turns into a talk about the turtlenecks. I guess you could say it is the most defining thing for most fans. That and making fun of JWs stock answers to interviewers.

[airmanjerm 78]

There's an article I posted here on Jwfan a while back that was from the March Air Force Base newspaper ("The Beacon") back in 1952 when he was the Staff Arranger for the Air Force Band at March AFB then. It has a lot of good biographical information from that time. He was only about 20 years old then, and he wasn't really famous yet. So...give that a shot.

(Anyone on here have a direct link for that? I looked and couldn't find it, but it was posted on the main page for a while. If not I can re-post it when I get home.)

[Jay 37,352]

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16627

[PIANOMUSICIAN1991 0]

Hi, im doing a report on John Williams at school as we have to choose our most influential practitioner and write 3000 words on them so i thought who could be more influential than the man himself, aha.

Basically i need to find out about what inspired him to become a film score producer and what aspects of his personal/working life may have influenced his style or anything really, does anybody have anything they can share with me?

Thanks guys

His father was a jazz musician, a drummer. He was around jazz greats during his early years. He took up piano, amongst other insturments such as cello and clarinet. He was a jazz recording artist (Pianist) originally. He started arranging jazz music and then when he moved to LA with his family, studied composition privately. He was a good pianist all round, classical, jazz you name it. He got into being a musician in the Hollywood orchestras in the 50s, playing on such themes as Peter Gunn by Henry Mancini. He then became an orchestrator in the studios for well known film composers at the time such as Franz Waxman and Max Steiner. He also did do some ghost writing. You could say he was influences and got the knowledge of film composing from watching the 'masters' at work in the studios. He soon started to get film composing work for B movies and Tv themes and such like, until getting his huge breaks with Jaws, Starwars and ET etc.

Thats my little summary for you. Hope its helpful,

Lewis

[airmanjerm 78]

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16627

Thanks Jason! Figured that was still here somewhere...

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

That vintage article is chilling. In a couple decades he'd be creating some of the most iconic music for the most popular movies of all time.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

He also likes trees.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

And democrats. But let's stop right there

[A24 4,331]

He also likes trees.

Does he still smoke plant leaves?

[John Crichton 4]

Lets not forget his raging Funyon obsession.