John Williams: A Composer’s Life
From Twenty Thousand Hertz by Dallas Taylor
June 1, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 242
About this episode
This episode explores the early life and career of composer John Williams, highlighting his journey from a jazz-influenced childhood to creating iconic film scores.
John Williams has written some of the most famous film scores ever, from Star Wars to Indiana Jones to Jurassic Park. But before the blockbuster success, there was a kid growing up around jazz musicians in New York, and a young composer trying to find his voice. In this episode, journalist Tim Greiving takes us through John’s early life and career, from his years as a session player to the meeting with Steven Spielberg that changed everything. Along the way, we unpack the stories behind John’s early iconic scores, including the two-note terror of Jaws, the symphonic world of Star Wars, and the mysteries of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound. Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Buy the biography John Williams: A Composer’s Life wherever you get your books. Subscribe to Tim’s Substack Behind the Moon, an exclusive dive behind…
People in this episode
Host: Dallas Taylor
Guest: Tim Greiving
Topics covered
- film scores
- John Williams
- music history
- composition
- jazz influence
- collaboration
Keywords
- John Williams
- film scores
- music composition
- Star Wars
- Jaws
- Indiana Jones
- Close Encounters
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Defacto Sound, AT&T
Products: iPhone 17 Pro
Books & works: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, John Williams: A Composer’s Life
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