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John Williams

John Williams

Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images

News
Anne Akiko Meyers To Honor John Williams anne-akiko-meyers-honor-john-williams-grammy-salute-music-legends

Anne Akiko Meyers To Honor John Williams On "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends"

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The violinist pays tribute to the prolific composer at the Recording Academy's 2018 Special Merit Awards recipient tribute concert that will air on PBS on Oct. 5
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 27, 2018 - 5:50 pm

GRAMMY-winning composer John Williams is responsible for striking a mood and setting the scene for so many classic films over the years. He composed many iconic GRAMMY-winning and -nominated scores, including for the Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones franchises. A few of the other classic films whose scores he also wrote – although there are many more – are Jaws, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan, all three of which won him a GRAMMY for Best Instrumental Composition Written For A Motion Picture Or For Television. It is hard to imagine what these movies – and so many others – would feel like if not set to his masterpieces.

Anne Akiko Meyers Honors John Williams

On the upcoming broadcast of "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends," Williams, a Recording Academy Trustees Award recipient, will be honored by classical concert violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will perform his haunting "Schindler's List."

"His absolute generosity with people, and his humanity, his person is so extraordinary," Meyers shares about Williams. "Not only is he just one of the greatest composers to ever write music, but he's so generous in his spirit and such a kind human being."

You can watch the performance during the special tribute concert that will air on PBS at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 (check your local listings) and will be available to stream starting the next day via pbs.org/gperf.

"GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" To Air On PBS Oct. 5

GRAMMYs

John Williams 

Photo: Paul Marotta/Getty Images

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Gustavo Dudamel Awards John Williams gustavo-dudamel-awards-john-williams-grammy-salute-music-legends

Gustavo Dudamel Awards John Williams On "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends"

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Venezuelan conductor and Los Angeles Philharmonic Music & Artistic Director, Gustavo Dudamel presents a Trustees Award to conductor/composer John Williams during a concert celebrating the Recording Academy's 2018 Special Merit Awards recipie
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 4, 2018 - 5:51 pm

Venezuelan conductor, violinist and Los Angeles Philharmonic Music & Artistic Director, Gustavo Dudamel has the perfect words to describe the work of GRAMMY-winning conductor, composer and pianist John Williams, who has composed film scores for iconic films like Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Harry Potter.

Gustavo Dudamel Presents Award To John Williams

"He's writing the soundtrack of our lives, so we cannot disconnect a moment of your life without a melody of a movie that John wrote," Dudamel told the Recording Academy.

On the upcoming "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends," Dudamel presents Williams with the Trustees Award. Williams has been the music director and laureate conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra and continues relationships with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he's composed scores for many iconic movies, including Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park and Amistad. Anne Akiko Meyers will be honoring Williams with a performance of "Shindler's List." 

"He's at the service [of'] the music," Dudamel shared. "And that for us as young artists, in my case, is an example [of] that humble approach from a giant to the music, so that is something unique."

Watch the award presentation during the special tribute concert that will air on PBS at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 (check your local listings) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf.

"GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" To Air On PBS Oct. 5

Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar

Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images

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Sammy Hagar To Honor Queen sammy-hagar-honor-queen-grammy-salute-music-legends

Sammy Hagar To Honor Queen On "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends"

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Hagar pays tribute to fellow rockstar Freddie Mercury and his iconic band at the Recording Academy's 2018 Special Merit Awards recipient tribute concert that will air on PBS on Oct. 5
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 25, 2018 - 2:12 pm

The term rockstar itself evokes grandiose images of someone making their mark on the world by living big; not everyone who fronts a band is granted rockstar status, it must be earned. Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of Queen, was one of his generation's quintessential rockstars, with a larger-than-life persona and stage presence and an out-of-this-world vocal range to match. As the frontman of his equally legendary band Queen, he and his bandmates rocked stadiums globally throughout the '70's and '80s with hits long outlasting their reign, including "We Will Rock You," and GRAMMY-nominated classics "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Another One Bites the Dust."

Sammy Hagar To Honor Queen

On the upcoming broadcast of "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends," Queen, a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement recipient, will be honored by GRAMMY winner and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, who will perform "We Will Rock You."

"[Queen was] one of the greatest vocal bands of all time. I mean Freddie Mercury's vocal arrangements were on fire," Hagar said.

Watch the performance during the special tribute concert that will air on PBS at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 (check your local listings) and will be available to stream starting the next day via pbs.org/gperf.

"GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" To Air On PBS Oct. 5

John Billings

John Billings

Photo: Jesse Grant/WireImage/Getty Images

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Meet The GRAMMY Man: How GRAMMYs Are Made meet-grammy-man-how-golden-gramophones-are-made

Meet The GRAMMY Man: How The Golden Gramophones Are Made

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Here's how John Billings and his Colorado-based company became the go-to team for crafting music's most prestigious trophy
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 11, 2018 - 4:45 pm

Meet John Billings, aka the "GRAMMY Man." He and his small but mighty team at Billings Artworks in the tiny mountain town of Ridgway, Colo. make all of the GRAMMY trophies that winning artists at the GRAMMYs and Latin GRAMMYs proudly take home every year. Watch the video below to hear from Billings himself on the joy he finds in his craft.

Meet The GRAMMY Man

Before Billings became the "GRAMMY Man," he was a dental student in Southern California in the '80s, and went to learn casting under the original GRAMMY maker, Bob Graves.

Unfortunately Graves was terminally ill, and shortly before his death asked Billings to keep the tradition going. So Billings moved to Colorado to start Billings Artworks and keep the hand-crafted, American-made tradition alive for the GRAMMY trophies.

"Each GRAMMY we make, in our minds, it's going to a superstar, you know it's going to somebody who's given to us, to our lives, and now we're giving back to them." Billings said. "We're a small company in a dusty little shop, in a tiny little town in the mountains, but our work is recognized around the world and goes around the world."

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Damien Escobar

Damien Escobar

Photo: Design: F Inomata/Recording Academy

News
Press Play: Damien Escobar Shares Violin Mastery damien-escobar-showcases-his-sultry-violin-sounds-press-play

Damien Escobar Showcases His Sultry Violin Sounds For Press Play

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The pop and R&B-influenced violinist performs an original song, "Phoenix," letting his passion shine through on the latest episode of the Recording Academy's newest video series, Press Play
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 29, 2018 - 9:46 am

Violinist Damien Escobar's journey is deeply inspiring, involving a rise to fame with his brother, a fall of hard luck and a surge of perseverance and hard work to restart his career as a solo artist. You can feel his passion for music—and life—in his performances. Luckily for you, he is the star in the third-ever episode of the Recording Academy's latest video series, Press Play, which will let you discover, get to know and love artists you may not have heard of yet through original performances.

Play

In this episode Escobar performs "Phoenix," which he wrote for his sophomore solo album, 2017's Boundless. The song's name comes from the mythical bird of the same name, inspired by the idea to "be gone with what was and accepting what is." While the violin may be his primary instrument in his music, his sound is far from simply classical, with his style more along the lines of a mix of classical, R&B, jazz & pop

Rewind

Music has always played an important part of the artist's life. Born in Queens in New York City, he started playing music at a young age, performing in the city's subway platforms as a kid and even became one of the youngest people to attend the prestigious Julliard School of Music when he was just 9 years old. He and his brother formed a group called Nuttin But Stringz, where they both played violin, and gained global rose to fame after they appeared on "America's Got Talent" in 2003. But commercial success was not without some major challenges for Escobar; after they split up he put down his beloved violin and ended up homeless for a period of time, having to completely rebuild his life.

After rediscovering his passion and returning to his violin, he released his debut album, Sensual Melodies, in 2013. He also embarked on a solo headline tour for the first time, and in the spirit of a true bootstrapping indie artist, funded the tour from his own pocket.

Record

Escobar and his brother were invited to perform at White House twice, during President George W. Bush's time in office and during President Barack Obama's inauguration. Their music was featured in several commercials and movies, including the film Step Up during their time as Nuttin but Stringz. Now, as a solo artist, Escobar has partnered with Mitsubishi in a recent campaign of theirs. His passion for his art continues to burn bright, and he surely has more up his sleeves.

Fast-forward

Since his return and rebirth  as an artist, he has not only inspired others with his story but also put out his sophomore album, performed at events hosted by the likes of Oprah, published a children's book, The Sound Of Strings, and even designed his own line of custom violins for the outside-of-the-box musicians like himself.

Kimberly Nichole Lets Out A Stirring Performance For Press Play

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.