Hollywood’s top stars such as Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, and J.J. Abrams came together on Thursday (June 9) to fete John Williams, the prolific composer of some of cinema’s most memorable scores including “Star Wars” and “Jaws,” as he was honored by the American Film Institute.
Williams, 84, received the lifetime achievement award at a star-studded gala dinner hosted by AFI, an organization that aims to preserve the heritage of American cinema.
Williams, a graduate of New York’s Julliard School, has more than 150 film scores to his name, many of which have become embedded into pop culture, such as “Jurassic Park,” “Indiana Jones” and “Harry Potter.”
He is known for frequently collaborating with filmmaker Steven Spielberg, one of a number of directors and film stars, including Tom Hanks and George Lucas, who joined in giving the veteran composer a standing ovation when he was announced on stage.
The composer has won five Oscars out of 50 nominations over his seven-decade career. His score for 1977’s “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” was named the most memorable film score of all time by the AFI in 2005.
Williams was nominated for a best original score Oscar this year for composing the score for Disney’s highly anticipated blockbuster hit film, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
Venezuelan composer Gustavo Dudamel, who also worked on ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ with Williams said on the red carpet, “John is like a father for all of us. The spirit he brings to his music is unique and very special.”
Veteran actor Edward Asner said that Williams’ music “makes the heart beat faster, it keeps us awake and we can always hum the tune if we don’t like the movie.”
Other recipients of the AFI lifetime achievement award include Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda and most recently, comedic actor Steve Martin.
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