Well, whaddya know? Just when you thought there wasn’t an award he hasn’t already received, John Williams has been knighted.
On Queen Elizabeth II’s final awards list, Williams was granted the honorary title of KBE (Knight of the British Empire). Of course, in order to be formally addressed as “Sir,” he would have to become a British citizen.
Musically, Williams has been a lifelong anglophile. He has also been a frequent collaborator with the London Symphony Orchestra.
His scores to “Star Wars,” “The Fury, “Superman,” “Dracula,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Monsignor,” “Return of the Jedi,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” and “Revenge of the Sith” were all recorded with the LSO.
Furthermore, there would be no “Star Wars” or “Williams sound,” for that matter, without the influence of Sir William Walton, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir Edward Elgar, and Gustav Holst.
“You have chosen… wisely.”
A brief history of Williams’ special relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra
The Queen’s final list of honorary awards
PHOTO: Before a concert at the Royal Albert Hall with the LSO in February 1978
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