Quiz

As of 2014, he holds the record with the most number of Oscar nominations in the Best Musical Score with 43 nominations.

Composed for all but three of Steven Spielberg's feature films.

Father of composer and former TOTO lead singer, Joseph Williams. The two worked together on Il ritorno dello Jedi (1983), collaborating on the song performed by the alien band in Jabba's Palace. However, the song was replaced for the Special Edition.

Passed on scoring Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco (2005), in favor of Memorie di una geisha (2005).

Composed the score to Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Complotto di famiglia (1976).

In 2005, his scores for Guerre stellari (1977), Lo squalo (1975), and E.T. - L'extra-terrestre (1982) were respectively ranked #1, #6, and #14 on the AFI's list of the Top 25 Film Scores in the past 100 years.

Performed the famous piano riff on the original recording of Henry Mancini's theme to Peter Gunn (1958).

Composed his first symphony at the urging of fellow film composer Bernard Herrmann.

Composed the "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" for the 1984 Olympic Games, which were held in Los Angeles and was awarded a Grammy in 1985.

During a live orchestral concert of film music in late 2004, Williams presented a tribute to the late Jerry Goldsmith, David Raksin, and Elmer Bernstein, explaining how he played piano on some of their scores at the beginning of his career. He joked "They were my former employers - I must have been something like 12 when I played for them.".

The music score for Lo squalo (1975) is one of the most recognizable, iconic, and suspenseful movie scores of all time. When Williams played it for Steven Spielberg for the first time, Spielberg couldn't help but laugh, feeling that it was so simple it could never work. The final version after all uses just two music notes: E and F. But Williams persuaded Spielberg to use it, and after a few tweaks, one of the most famous film scores of all time was born. This was the second film on which Williams and Spielberg collaborated (after Sugarland Express (1974)), and the two have worked together on almost every film Spielberg has done since.

Son of jazz musician John Williams, (full name: John Francis Towner Williams, Senior), who was best known as the drummer in The Raymond Scott Quintette.

In 2012, he surpassed Alfred Newman as the most nominated composer in Oscar history with 42 nominations for Best Original Score when his scores for Le avventure di Tintin - Il segreto dell'Unicorno (2011) and War Horse (2011) were nominated for the award.

Composer of the biggest-selling instrumental single of all-time, and the only one to be officially awarded Platinum status - 2 million units by the RIAA, Meco's recording of "Star Wars Theme and Cantina Band". And, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, Meco's "Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk" album also outsold Williams' soundtrack by 300,000 units.

Frequently works with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Chris Columbus.

Worked extensively with the London Symphony Orchestra

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998.

In 2006, he tied Alfred Newman for the most number of Oscar nominations (45) received by a composer-conductor, when he was nominated for "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Munich".

As of 2017, he has contributed with the musical score of 16 films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Il violinista sul tetto (1971), L'inferno di cristallo (1974), Lo squalo (1975), Guerre stellari (1977), I predatori dell'arca perduta (1981), E.T. - L'extra-terrestre (1982), Il grande freddo (1983), Turista per caso (1988), Nato il quattro luglio (1989), JFK - Un caso ancora aperto (1991), Schindler's List (1993), Salvate il soldato Ryan (1998), Munich (2005), War Horse (2011), Lincoln (2012) and The Post (2017). Of those, Schindler's List (1993) is a winner in the category.

Recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, along with Elton John, Joan Sutherland, Warren Beatty, and Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

He's an admirer of Japanese animation composer Yôko Kanno.

He was originally attached to score Sentinel (1977) but pulled out to work on Guerre stellari (1977).

2002 distinguished him as the most Oscar-nominated living individual, with an astounding 41 nominations. In 2003 his total increased to 42, after receiving a nomination for Prova a prendermi (2002). In 2004, he received his 43rd nomination, for Harry Potter e il prigioniero di Azkaban (2004).

He was originally going to score Shining (1980), until Stanley Kubrick decided to go with a selection of music from different composers.

He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts on February 25, 2010 at the White House in Washington D.C. for his services and contributions to music.

Conductor of the Boston Pops for 12 years.

He was originally attached to score I cancelli del cielo (1980), but left the project when the film was half a year behind schedule and he had to start composing the music for both L'Impero colpisce ancora (1980) and I predatori dell'arca perduta (1981) immediately after that.

Was nominated for Film Composer of the Year in 2004 and 2011 by the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA). He won in 2011.

Attended UCLA, Los Angeles City College & Juilliard

Graduated from North Hollywood High School.

Honorary Member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honrary Band Fraternity. Member of Boston University Chapter Theta Beta, Brother # 93, Nickname: "Pops"

Is a recipient of the prestigious Connor Award given by the Phi Alpha Tau brotherhood of Emerson College located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Grand marshal, Tournament of Roses parade (2004)

Brother of studio percussionist Donald Williams and Jerry Williams.

He played the conductor in Home Alone in New York in the Opera House Kevin watches from above while visits the "Pidgeon Lady". The Orchestra plays Adeste Fideles.

Was originally slated to return to finish scoring the Harry Potter series. Until it was split into two films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows had John Williams to finish what he started. Once the film was split, the producers felt it would be too expensive and replaced him with Alexandre Desplat.

Son-in-law of actors Mel Ruick and Lurene Tuttle

He was originally suggested to compose the score for Psycho II (1983).

Father John was a professional drummer & percussionist for the Kate Smith Radio Show.

Has an older sister Joan and a younger brother Gerard.

Great uncle of actors Christian Curwood and Rebekah Curwood.

His grandmother Ada Towner was Irish-French Canadian.

In 2023, he was commissioned by ESPN to write an original composition titled "Of Grit and Glory" for the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Lived at 143-40 Poplar Avenue in Flushing, New York until his family moved to Los Angeles.

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra invited Williams to lead concerts in January 2020, his first engagement with a European orchestra.

Long before composing Star Wars theme, a younger Johnny Williams composed theme for Lost in Space. Twice.

Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg's frequent producer, has said that any film scored by Williams is a drastically different experience without it.

Steven Spielberg wanted drums on The Lost World: Jurassic Park's soundtrack, to give it a more jungle ethnic flavour to drive the music and give it more texture.