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.
While We're Young
John Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lovers hold hands as they stake out the light
Sirens scream as they rush out of sight
We whisper plans
And promise to love for as long as we can
We'll make this night
The night it began
While we're still young
While we're still young
While we're still young
Down on the street
Strangers trade glances each time their eyes meet Neon lights come and dance to the beat We take it slow
Wait for our song on the car radio Then sing along
With the words that we know While we're still young
While we're still young
While we're still young So, take my hand (take my hand)
And hold on tight
We'll keep running through the night
We may stand, we may fall
The risk we take to change it all While we're still young
While we're still young
While we're still young Out in the night
Strangers hold hands as they take out the fight Sirens scream as they rush out of sight
We whisper plans
And promise to give all the love that we have
And hold this light (hold this light)
Just as high as we can While we're still young
While we're still young
While we're still young
The lyrics of John Williams's song "While We're Young" depict a scene in the night where lovers are embracing the fleeting moments of their youth. The singer describes how, amidst the darkness, couples hold hands and bask in the glow of the lights. The sirens in the distance add a sense of urgency and excitement to the atmosphere.
The first verse highlights the couple's determination to cherish their love while they can. They make whispered plans, making promises to each other as they embark on their journey of love. They see this particular night as the beginning of something special.
In the chorus, the phrase "while we're still young" is repeated, emphasizing the theme of youth and the desire to seize the present moment. It suggests a sense of urgency and the understanding that time is fleeting.
The second verse shifts the focus to the streets, where strangers exchange glances and are captivated by the neon lights pulsating to the beat. The couple takes their time, waiting for their song to play on the car radio. When it finally comes on, they sing along with the lyrics they know by heart.
The bridge of the song further emphasizes the idea of taking risks. The singer asks the listener to take their hand and hold on tight, as they continue running through the night. The possibility of standing or falling represents the uncertainty and vulnerability that comes with taking a chance to change their lives.
The final verse echoes the beginning, describing strangers holding hands as they confront their own battles. The singer again mentions whispered plans and the promise to give all their love. They express a determination to hold their light high, signifying their dedication to their relationship.
Overall, "While We're Young" is a song that celebrates the fleeting nature of youth and urges listeners to embrace the present, take risks, and cherish the love they have.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the night
Under the cover of darkness
Lovers hold hands as they stake out the light
Couples grasp each other's hands while seeking out moments of joy and happiness
Sirens scream as they rush out of sight
Emergency sounds quickly fade away
We whisper plans
We quietly share our aspirations
And promise to love for as long as we can
And commit to loving each other for as much time as we are able to
We'll make this night
We will turn this particular night
The night it began
Into the beginning of something special
While we're still young
While we are in our youth
Down on the street
On the city's pavement
Strangers trade glances each time their eyes meet
Unknown individuals exchange looks every time their gazes intersect
Neon lights come and dance to the beat
Bright, vibrant lights move rhythmically
We take it slow
We approach things at a leisurely pace
Wait for our song on the car radio
Anticipate hearing our favorite tune on the car's radio
Then sing along
Then join in the melody
With the words that we know
Using the lyrics that are familiar to us
So, take my hand (take my hand)
So, hold my hand tightly
And hold on tight
And grip firmly
We'll keep running through the night
We will keep moving swiftly during the nighttime
We may stand, we may fall
We may succeed, we may fail
The risk we take to change it all
The daring action we take to alter everything
Out in the night
Under the cover of darkness
Strangers hold hands as they take out the fight
Unknown individuals clasp hands as they confront their battles
Sirens scream as they rush out of sight
Emergency sounds quickly fade away
We whisper plans
We quietly share our aspirations
And promise to give all the love that we have
And pledge to give every ounce of love we possess
And hold this light (hold this light)
And keep this illumination (keep this illumination)
Just as high as we can
As elevated as we possibly can
While we're still young
While we are in our youth
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUSTY YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dead Purple
John Williams said he had problems with the soundtrack to The Sequels, mainly because Disney wanted them to be just background music. With Lucas, Williams said the music was just so important to the story. Hell with Eps 1-6. I can say anyone true Star Wars fan can guess what film the score belonged to. With 7-9, you can't.
JamesNerdMan 85
Pretty ironic that Disney doesn’t think the music is important when they’ve been making movies with music since before any of us were born. How is this company so out of touch?
Soulbent Animations
@JamesNerdMan 85 that's one thing missing from the movies under Disney. The movies under George almost made the movies like musicals. They felt like star wars films where the music told so much of the story. Disney just acts towards furthering the dumbing down of cinema.
greggy bada
music from 1-6 clearly evokes the emotion of every scene, also because the story is told clearly visually... music from the sequels arent really memorable because every scene only has confusion from why things are happening, and the audience can't really tell what is going on without the dialouge used to explain 100 things at once... and all the sequels did was to reuse old music on certain scenes meant to evoke the same emotion from when it was originally used, but it doesnt work because the story isnt the same and the characters aren't clear on what they are...
Kev Masengale
Right... I don't even remember any of the sequel music.
Soulbent Animations
@Kev Masengale Rey's theme was actually a good one
Saint Carpophorus
John Williams, the best composer of the 20th century.
Cody lee
Don't get me rong John is my second favorite composer right behind hanz zimmer who is really killing it right now in the business and I will always love John for what he did for this great and underestimated section of the musical community
Saint Carpophorus
@Cody lee You like Hans Zimmer's music more than John Williams' music? I do remember Zimmer's memorable soundtracks for "Rain Man" and "The Dark Knight"! Those are classics!
Cody lee
@Saint Carpophorus ya those are really good but my favorites are probably inception and interstellar 👍