About John Williams (guitarist)
John Christopher Williams (born 24 April 1941) is an Australian and English guitarist known for his solo and ensemble playing as well as his interpretation and promotion of the modern classical guitar repertoire. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award in the Best Chamber Music Performance category with fellow guitarist Julian Bream for Together (released in the US as Julian and John (Works by Lawes, Carulli, Albéniz, Granados)). Guitar historian Graham Wade has said that "John is perhaps the most technically accomplished guitarist the world has seen." == Early life == John Williams is an only child who was born on 24 April 1941 in Melbourne, Australia, to an English father, Len Williams, who bought John, at the age of four, his first guitar with a modified neck. Len would later found the Spanish Guitar Centre in London, England. John's mother Melaan (née Ah Ket) was the daughter of William Ah Ket, the first Australian barrister of Chinese heritage. In 1952, the family moved to England, where John attended Friern Barnet Grammar School, London. Williams was initially taught guitar by his father, who was a musically disciplined and accomplished classical guitarist. From the age of 11, Williams attended summer courses with Andrés Segovia at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. He attended the Royal College of Music in London, from 1956 to 1959, studying piano because the college did not have a guitar section. In 1958, when he was 17 years old, he made his musical debut performing publicly at London's Wigmore Hall.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.