How much is John Williams worth?
| Net Worth: | $200 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Composer |
| Date of Birth: | February 8, 1932 (age 91) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.82 m) |
About John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American professional composer, and conductor. He’s also a pianist and trombonist that has composed a number of classical concertos. Regarded by many to be the greatest film composer of all time, Williams is responsible for the success of many popular movies such as the Star Wars Saga, the Indiana Jones films, Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Home Alone among many others.
John Williams is famous for composing the music for more than one hundred films and television series. He was born on February 8, 1932, in Floral Park, New York. His father, Johnny Williams, was a percussionist and jazz drummer that played with the Raymond Scott Quintet, while his mother Esther worked for the family’s department store. In 1948, his family moved to Los Angeles, where John attended the North Hollywood High School. He graduated from the school two years later and then enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles.
At university, he studied composition with the Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Around the early 1950s, he also attended the Los Angeles City College for just one semester. In 1951, he was drafted to the U.S. Air Force. As part of the Force, he played the piano and brass, while also conducting and arranging music for the US Air Force Band. In 1955, after his time with the US Air Force had ended, he moved to New York, where he entered the Julliard School and studied piano with Rosina Lavigne.
In the mid and late 1950s, Williams moved back to Los Angeles where he began working as both a jazz pianist and session musician. He met the composer Henry Mancini, with whom he worked for the creation of the Peter Gunn soundtrack. The first two soundtracks in which he took part in are You Are Welcome from 1954 and Daddy-O from 1958. He also made his feature film debut in the latter.
By the 1960s, the pianist and trombonist was already earning a significant amount of money from his work. Credited as Johnny Williams, he composed the score and songs of many classics – All The Secret Ways, The Killers, How to Steal One Million, A Guide for the Unmarried Men, The Valley of The Doll, Goodbye, Mister Chips, and The Rivers.
By the late years of the century, his net worth was already exceeding an estimated $50 million thanks to his work for some of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, and Harry Potter.
Over the last seven decades John Williams has composed all kinds of music for movies and more. Through his work he has earned an estimated net worth of a staggering $200 million and counting.
Ever since the beginning of his career, the composer became famous for his style, which can be described as a form of neo-romanticism, inspired by the likes of Richard Wagner and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Simultaneously with composing music and scores, Williams also worked as an orchestrator at various film studios in California. He worked with fellow distinguished composers such as Bernard Herrmann, Franz Waxman, and Alfred Newman.
Another thing that helped Williams find prosperity in the entertainment business was working as a pianist. He performed on film scores by composers like Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, and Elmer Bernstein. Since 1974, he has been associated with the film director Steven Spielberg, for whom he has been composing music for all but five of his films. Even now, at the age of 88, John continues to uphold his legacy and compose. His most recent compositions are for the final installments of the film franchises – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Indiana Jones 5.
Summing-Up
John Williams is a living legend. Since the 1950s, he has composed for many critically and commercially acclaimed films. During his illustrious career, which spans over six decades, he has earned a lot of awards and nominations. His long list of achievements includes 52 Academy Award nominations (which makes him the second-most nominated person after Walt Disney), 25 Grammys, 7 BAFTA Awards, 5 Academy Awards, and 4 Golden Globe Awards to name a few.
