- "Once again, John Williams has exceeded my expectations and produced a lavish, rich, moving and thrilling score. Every fan of Star Wars—and of great music—is in his debt."
- ―George Lucas about John Williams' score for Revenge of the Sith
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)[1] is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. He has composed nearly all of the music heard in the Star Wars films. He has also composed scores for multiple other well-known movies and television shows, including Indiana Jones, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Superman.
Biography[]

Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra
In 1977, he composed the music for Star Wars, which turned out to be a huge success. Star Wars became the best-selling score-only soundtrack of all time and won him an Oscar.
Williams's son, Joseph Williams, chose a musical career like his father. The two worked together on Return of the Jedi and Attack of the Clones.
Rick McCallum stated at Star Wars Reunion II that he had hoped to have John Williams on the musical score for the Star Wars live-action TV series and added that each episode would have had its own original score.
Discography[]
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
|
Filmography[]
Year | Title | Contribution(s) |
---|---|---|
2019 | Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker | Oma Tres |
Awards[]
Academy Awards[]

Williams (with Jonathan Tunick, winner for Best Score Adaptation-A Little Night Music) holding his Oscar for Best Original Score
Year | Project | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope[4] | Best Original Score | Won |
1980 | Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back[4] | Best Original Score | Nominated |
1983 | Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi[4] | Best Original Score | Nominated |
2015 | Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens[5] | Best Original Score | Nominated |
2017 | Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi[6] | Best Original Score | Nominated |
2019 | Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker[7] | Best Original Score | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards[]
Year | Project | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope[8] | Original Film Music | Won |
1980 | Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back[8] | Original Film Music | Won |
2015 | Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens[9] | Original Film Music | Nominated |
2019 | Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker[10] | Original Film Music | Nominated |
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- The Star Wars Album
- The Jedi Master's Quizbook
"Star Tours: 'The Ultimate Adventure' is Still the Ultimate Ride at Disneyland" – The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 2
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Limited Collector's Edition
Lucas Presents Maestro Award to Williams on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Ambush"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Rising Malevolence"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Shadow of Malevolence"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Lair of Grievous"
- Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle
"Launch Pad" – Star Wars Insider 110
"Launch Pad" – Star Wars Insider 146
Star Wars Rebels: An Interview with Composer Kevin Kiner on StarWars.com (backup link)
"Authors of the Expanded Universe: Matthew Woodring Stover" – Star Wars Insider 149
Star Wars: Episode VII Adds Academy Award Winner Lupita Nyong'o and Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie on StarWars.com (backup link)
Introducing Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide on StarWars.com (backup link)
Master Filmmaking Team Announced for Star Wars: Episode VII on StarWars.com (backup link)
Star Wars: Episode VII to Open December 18, 2015 on StarWars.com (backup link)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Receives 5 Oscar Nominations on StarWars.com (backup link)
15 Easter Eggs to Find in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special on StarWars.com (backup link)
"The Wonder Column" – Star Wars Insider 200
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga: The Official Collector's Edition
- Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian: Making of the Season 2 Finale
"It's Pure Magic": Celebrating John Williams and His Music on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Battlefront II Updates, A Look Into Poe Dameron's Past, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑ Burlingame, Jon: 'Solo' Locks In Key 'Star Wars' Veteran (EXCLUSIVE) (2017-12-30). Variety. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020.
- ↑
John Williams - Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Symphonic Suite (Audio Only) on the DisneyMusicVEVO YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Awards (2006-06-05). The John Williams Web Pages. Archived from the original on June 10, 2002.
- ↑ The 88th Academy Awards. oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020.
- ↑ The 90th Academy Awards. oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020.
- ↑ The 92nd Academy Awards. oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 BAFTA Awards Search (John Williams). British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020.
- ↑ Film in 2016. awards.bafta.org. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020.
- ↑ Film in 2020. awards.bafta.org. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020.
External links[]
John Williams at the Internet Movie Database
John Williams on Wikipedia
- JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network
- Ross, Alex: The Force Is Still Strong with the "Star Wars" Composer John Williams (2020-07-21). newyorker.com. The New Yorker. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021.