As one of the greatest film composers of our time, John Williams had already made a name for himself before young filmmakers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg began plans to revolutionize cinema.
According to Variety, it took their "wild energy and wild ideas" to inspire Williams, who lost his wife at the peak of his career. In a new Disney+ documentary called Music by John Williams, Williams shared the ups and downs of his storied career with filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau. At the age of 92, John Williams has attained the status of a living legend, but there was a point a few decades ago when he found himself grappling with the loss of his wife, singer and actress Barbara Ruick, at just 41 years old.
Williams found himself raising three teenagers alone. Although he continued working to put food on the table, he took on less and less, and in his mind, he was on a break. Williams' career can be separated into two eras, one before his wife's passing and the other after it. For a while, it became difficult for Williams to return to music after Barbara's death, and the loss was so difficult that he struggled to discuss it with Bouzereau. He explains, "I just didn’t want to deal with films and stories and characters and so on.”
John Williams' grandson, Ethan Gruska, says his grandfather finds it difficult to talk about the painful chapters of his life, but he believes he "expresses himself through music." His love of music ultimately helped Williams turn a corner in his career after which there's been no looking back for the maestro. His partnership with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas elevated his craft, after which he created some of the most iconic music in film history.
Music By John Williams, an all-new documentary, streaming November 1 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/zr5Q6bCxrb
— Star Wars (@starwars) October 1, 2024
When Williams met Spielberg and Lucas, the two seemed like kids, making for an unlikely collaboration. Williams was a father of three teenagers, and Speilberg and Lucas reminded him of his kids. He was like an older brother to them and appreciated their wish to carry the classical style of music forward while adjusting to modern times. His work with Spielberg on Jaws quickly earned him his second Oscar, and Spielberg convinced him to work on George Lucas's Star Wars, which Williams agreed to do for the sake of brotherhood.
"It was literally John trusting Steven and saying, ‘You know what? I’m going to go with your advice—brotherhood...'"Laurent Bouzereau.
The rest, as they say, is history. Without Star Wars, Hollywood and John Williams would be in very different places right now. Star Wars revolutionized filmmaking, mesmerized generations, and became an unstoppable pop culture phenomenon. John Williams' music is at the heart of the franchise's success. Decades later, every composer who steps up to create Star Wars music has to live up to John Williams' timeless sound.
It's difficult to separate Star Wars from John Williams and decide who's done more for the other, but following Star Wars: A New Hope, Williams' career soared to unimaginable heights. In the process, he overcame the darkest time of his life and continues to cast his spell on fans everywhere, even at the age of 92.
Music by John Williams streams November 1 on Disney+.