To the man who started it all (for me) with Jaws and then Star Wars and then every great score I've heard from past, present and future, I salute you! Happy Birthday you Magnificent Genius!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE COMPOSER OF ALL TIME – TO MY HERO – TO A MAN THAT LIFTED MY SPIRITS, AND SHOWED ME THAT LIFE CAN BE UPLIFTING EVEN IN THE SADDEST MOMENTS – IT CAN BE FULL OF FUN AND ADVENTURE! I Celebrated by Playing the Score to “Hook” – Pure Magic!
Going to watch Towering Inferno and War of the Worlds (2005) and listen to his music in between. Trying to get as much in as possible today, but what the hey there is always tomorrow and tomorrow and.....
All of my most memorable (and earliest) soundtrack memories relate to Mr Williams. From the Jaws 45' single that had me wearing out the B side End Title (still one of the greatest pieces of music I have ever heard), finding a copy of Towering Inferno in a record shop in the arse end of nowhere in Liverpool (The Musical Box in Tuebrook), actually getting up early before school to play my Superman LP on the family record player, just to hear the Main Title and Love Theme one more time before school, laying on my bed with the Star Wars (and later Empire Strikes Back) LP's open, records playing and absorbing every detail from the stills and booklet. There are many others. Each score by him has a memory attached to it that's as clear today as it was when it happened. I guess that's love!
I was a fan before I even knew the name John Williams! As a little girl I remember seeing the George C Scott/Susanna York TV movie Jane Eyre. That version of the story (especially because of the music) is the version that stuck with me for years. When I realized THE John Williams whose music I had grown to love for movies such as Star Wars and E.T. had also written the heartbreakingly lovely score to Jane Eyre, I quickly acquired the CD. It has become one of my all time favorites and I have been privileged to hear John Williams conduct a suite from it in Chicago 2005.
The Towering Inferno and Jaws are the reasons I'm a composer today. I can't say enough about of how much his music has influenced and touched my entire life. To you, sir!
For some reason I chose to listen to In the Clouds from Always and the way he builds the love theme in the last couple minutes of the cue with counterpoint over a fairly straightforward and simple theme is beautiful and one of countless little tributes a person could do to his genius. The ability to be so good in pure musical terms but also in a way that is 100% invested in the vision of the film is something that will probably never stop blowing me away. He's been an endless source of inspiration and fascination. I can only hope he continues working for many, many years to come.
Just want to give this a bump, in case anybody missed the new download release of JW's Oboe Concerto on his birthday a few days ago. I found more info and other formats available here:
happiest of birthday to the greatest living composer 
