1) John Towner Willi… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least five artists with this name;
1) John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. With a career spanning over six decades, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history, including those of the Star Wars series, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones series, the first two Home Alone films, Hook, the first two Jurassic Park films, Schindler's List, and the first three Harry Potter films. He has a very distinct sound that mixes romanticism, impressionism and atonal music with complex orchestration. The classical music critic Marcus Paus argues that Williams' "satisfying way of embodying complex dissonances and avant-garde techniques within a larger tonal framework" makes him "one of the great composers of any century".
Williams has been associated with director Steven Spielberg since 1974, composing music for all but three of his feature films. Other works by Williams include theme music for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, "The Mission" theme used by NBC News and Seven News in Australia, the television series Lost in Space and Land of the Giants, and the incidental music for the first season of Gilligan's Island. Williams has also composed numerous classical concertos and other works for orchestral ensembles and solo instruments. He served as the Boston Pops's principal conductor from 1980 to 1993, and is currently the orchestra's laureate conductor.
Williams has won 24 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams's score to 1977's Star Wars as the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to Star Wars was additionally preserved by the Library of Congress into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams composed the score for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).
John Towner Williams was born on February 8, 1932 in Floral Park, New York, to Esther (née Towner) and Johnny Williams, a jazz percussionist who played with the Raymond Scott Quintet. Williams has said of his lineage, "My father was a Maine man—we were very close. My mother was from Boston. My father's parents ran a department store in Bangor, Maine, and my mother's father was a cabinetmaker. [...] People with those roots are not inclined to be lazy."
Williams married Barbara Ruick, an American actress and singer, in 1956. Together they had three children: Jennifer (b. 1956), Mark Towner Williams (b. 1958), and Joseph (b. 1960), who is the lead singer of Toto. The two remained married until her death in 1974. In 1980, Williams married Samantha Winslow, a photographer.
2) John Christopher Williams is a classical guitar player.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, on 24 April 1941, to an English father (Len Williams) and an Australian-Chinese mother, Williams was taught initially by his father. At the age of twelve he went to Italy to study under "The Maestro," Andrés Segovia. Later, he attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying piano because the school did not have a guitar department at the time. Upon graduation, he was offered the opportunity to create such a department. He seized the opportunity and ran it for the first two years. Williams has maintained links with the College (and with the Northern College in Manchester) ever since.
Williams is best known as a classical guitarist, but has explored many different musical traditions. He has collaborated with Julian Bream and Paco Peña and was a member of the fusion group Sky. He is also a composer and arranger.
Williams has commissioned guitar concertos from composers such as Stephen Dodgson, André Previn, Patrick Gowers, Richard Harvey, and Steve Gray. He has also worked with composers from his native Australia, including Phillip Houghton, Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards (composer), and Nigel Westlake, to produce guitar works that capture the spirit of his homeland.
He enjoyed a worldwide hit single with his recording of Cavatina by Stanley Myers, used as the theme tune to the Oscar-winning film The Deer Hunter (1979). The piece had originally been written for piano, for another film ten years earlier, The Walking Stick (1970) but re-written for guitar and expanded by Myers at Williams' invitation. In 1973, Cleo Laine wrote lyrics and recorded the song "He Was Beautiful" accompanied by John Williams. A year later, it was a top-five UK hit single for Iris Williams (no relation).
At the invitation of producer Martin Lewis he created a highly acclaimed classical-rock fusion duet with celebrated rock guitarist Pete Townshend of Townshend's anthemic "Won't Get Fooled Again" for the 1979 Amnesty International benefit show The Secret Policeman's Ball. The duet was featured on the resulting album and the film version of the show – bringing Williams to the broader attention of the rock audience.
The relationship with Lewis led to Williams' classical-rock fusion band Sky being invited to give the first-ever rock concert to be held at Westminster Abbey – a benefit concert for Amnesty that Lewis produced in February 1981.
He is visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
Williams and his artist wife Kathy Panama reside in London and Australia.
3) John Williams
John Williams is internationally regarded as one of the foremost players of Irish music today. With five All-Ireland titles to his credit, John is the only American-born competitor ever to win first place in the "senior concertina" category. His additional talents on flute, button accordion, bodhran, and piano distinguish him as a much sought after multi-instrumentalist in the acoustic scene around the world.
Born and raised on the Southwest Side of Chicago, John spent his summers during college on the Southwest coast of Ireland in his father’s village of Doolin, Co. Clare. Like Chicago, Doolin became a major musical crossroads for John and countless other local and international musicians to meet and exchange music. Gigging every night in the pubs of Doolin and Lisdoonvarna soon led to performances in Galway, Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Paris, Britanny, Zurich, and New York City (bio http://www.johnwilliamsmusic.com/bio.htm).
3) John Williams
A blues/jazz guitarist in Seattle, Washington, whose music is available at Magnatune.com (bio http://magnatune.com/artists/john_williams).
3) John Knowles Williams
An experimental/indie musician. Music is available at sweetnuthin.letsneverdie.net/Music/My_Recordings/ or www.myspace.com/JohnKWilliams.
Sleigh Ride
John Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling "Yoo hoo"
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, let's go,
Let's look at the show.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, it's grand
Just holding your hand.
We're gliding along with a song of a wintery fairy land.
Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we,
We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be.
Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two
Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.
The lyrics of John Williams & The Boston Pops Orchestra's "Sleigh Ride" describe a romantic scene of two lovers riding together in a sleigh through a snowy wonderland. The jingling of sleigh bells and the friends calling out in joy set the festive tone for the song. The singer invites his beloved to join him in a sleigh ride, as the weather outside is lovely and perfect for such an adventure. The couple sets out on their ride, singing and enjoying the beautiful view around them. The chorus of "Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, let's go," invites the listener to join in the fun, while the verse describing the couple's rosy cheeks and cozy warmth makes it clear that their ride is a moment of intimacy and romance.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sleigh Ride" are joyful, playful, and sweet. They capture the magic of a snowy winter day, and the excitement of falling in love during the holiday season. The imagery of the wonderland of snow, the cozy snuggle of two lovers, and the tantalizing possibility of singing a few choruses on the road ahead, create an idyllic scene that inspires warmth and happiness in the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting tingle-ing, too,
Let's pay attention to the sound of the sleigh bells ringing and the joyful sounds they bring.
Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.
The weather is perfect for taking a sleigh ride with our loved one.
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling "Yoo hoo"
The beautiful snow has brought our friends out and they are calling out to us.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, let's go,
Let's get going and ride the sleigh with enthusiasm and excitement.
Let's look at the show.
While we ride the sleigh, let's enjoy the beautiful display of nature and its wonders.
We're riding in a wonderland of snow.
As we ride the sleigh, we are surrounded by a beautiful winter wonderland of snow.
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, it's grand
The feeling of riding the sleigh is magnificent and delightful.
Just holding your hand.
The best part of the sleigh ride is holding hands with our loved one.
We're gliding along with a song of a wintery fairy land.
As we ride the sleigh, we feel like we are in a magical, wintery fairy land.
Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we,
The cold weather has turned our cheeks red, but we are feeling warm and snugly together.
We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be.
As we ride the sleigh, we are snuggled up together just like birds of a feather would be.
Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two
Let's take the path ahead of us and sing a song or two to make the moment more memorable.
Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.
Let's enjoy this beautiful weather with each other by taking a sleigh ride.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BLACKPOLO14
This song always brings me joy! I remember hearing it for the first time when I was in elementary school and absolutely loving it. As I have aged, I still enjoy it and it brings back great memories of all the family members I have lost through the years. I still love Christmas, but I miss so many family members that have passed on. We always celebrated Christmas together. Not trying to be a downer, just my honest feelings! Merry Christmas to all, and I hope you all enjoyed this video as much as I did! 🎄🎄🎅🎅
@richardjohnston1672
Loved this song, first heard it when I was around 10 years old, one Christmas my dad got me the record and I was thrilled! Brings back fond memories!
@MP-lq3xx
Yes@@richardjohnston1672 💌
@janettamcgee8124
I had the Arthur Fielder recording as a child. We played this every year when I was in the school band and to this day I hum my part every time I hear it. You're not a downer to remember your loved ones that have gone. I do, too. I listen to songs such as this and think of wonderful times from the past with the people I loved. Merry Christmas.
@BLACKPOLO14
Thank you for the kind words, they mean a lot. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!🎅🎄
@gwendolyn4892
I understand what you mean. I feel the same
@mr.delicious5738
No matter how cool you are, you'll never be as cool as the guy who bangs two pieces of wood together for John Williams.
@lastraes8312
Joke Arson you just made my Day with that comment
@nicholasgleason3763
If only they used an actual whip
@numbuh460
even when i was senior percussionist i played the whip on this song with the underclassmen band