Barbara Ruick was an actress, dancer, and the late wife of John Williams. Barbara Ruick’s husband is one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and for the concert stage. With 25 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards under his belt William has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in cinema history. He is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney. with 53 Academy Award nominations.
Aside from all those accomplishments, one of Williams’ biggest achievements in life is being a family man. He has been married twice and has three children from his first marriage who also doing great. Barbara Ruick is the first wife of John Williams even though he was her first husband, the couple made a great team but things didn’t go as planned. Unfortunately, death laid its icy hand on the wife of the legendary composer and brought their love story to an end. Who is John Williams’ first wife?
Barbara Ruick: Bio Summary
| Full Name | Barbara Ruick |
| famous as | * Actress * Dancer * Wife of John Williams |
| Age | 43 years old at the time of her death |
| Date of Birth | December 23, 1930 |
| Place of Birth | Pasadena, California, United States |
| Date of death | March 3, 1974, Reno, Nevada, United States |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Children | Joseph Williams, Mark Towner Williams, Jennifer Williams |
| Spouses | John Williams (m. 1956–1974), Robert Horton (m. 1953–1956), Frank Howren (m. 1949–1949) |
Who is John Williams’s wife, Barbara?
Barbara Ruick was born on December 23, 1930, in Pasadena, California, United States. She was the daughter of actors Lurene Tuttle and Melville Ruick. With both parents already in the acting industry, Barbara grew up acting out scenes with dolls, employing her mother as an audience and her teacher. Before joining a school band during her high school days at North Hollywood High School, she also did a little acting. Ruick performed with the band at dances and benefit concerts.
Barbara Ruick was a woman of many talents
Prior to signing as a contract player with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and recording several songs for them, Barbara Ruick had success on the radio. Dragnet’s original radio version featured her. Ruick starred as Kay in the first LP recording of songs from George and Ira Gershwin’s 1926 Broadway musical, Oh, Kay!, in the 1950s.
Lehman Engel conducted this studio cast recording, which was released by Columbia Records. Despite the fact that it did not use the original orchestrations, it was the most complete recording of the score available at the time.
Determined to make it as an actress, she made the decision to travel to New York City to find acting roles and chase her dreams. Her determination and perseverance paid off when she landed a spot on Hollywood Screen Test, a talent show that aired on ABC from 1948 to 1953.
ALSO, READ; Samantha Winslow: Who is John Williams’ wife?
Ruick pushed harder and this time she appeared on Kraft Television Theater, soap operas, and Chico Marx’s The College Bowl (1950). She also appeared on the Jerry Colonna Show for fifteen weeks. John Williams’ first wife Barbara Ruick was a regular on The Johnny Carson Show in 1955. Ruick appeared in The Millionaire (1957), Public Defender (1954), Brothers Brannigan (1960), The 20th Century Fox Hour (1956), and Climax Mystery Theater (1955) episodes.
Ruick had bit parts in her first four films, one of which was The Band Wagon (1953), before moving on to supporting roles. Carrie Pipperidge in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (1956), where she delivers a touching rendition of “When I Marry Mr. Snow,” and Esmerelda, one of Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters, in the 1965 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
ALSO, READ; John Williams’ Children: Joseph, Mark Towner, and Jennifer Williams
Of all her works, Barbara Ruick is most notable for Confidentially Connie (1953), The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), Carousel (1956), and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (TV, 1965 remake, starring Lesley Ann Warren).
John Williams was her third and last husband
Before she met the famous composer, Barbara Ruick was married to actor Robert Horton Jr. They got married in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 22, 1953. Ruick and her ex-husband Horton had co-starred in the movie Apache War Smoke the year before they tied the knot.
Their marriage didn’t go as planned, they ended it all in 1956 after they separated a year earlier. The couple separated just prior to their second wedding anniversary and divorced just after he accompanied her to the world premiere of Carousel. Before Horton, Barbara Ruick was married to his first husband Frank Howren in 1949, however, the marriage ended that same year.
ALSO, READ; Mark Towner Williams: Who is John Williams’ son?
The same year she divorced Horton, she meet John Williams, and the couple bonded even though she was two years older than him. The couple got married in the same year, 1956. Williams dedicated his First Violin Concerto to her memory (notes to DGG recording 289 471 326–2). Barbara Ruick and John Williams’ marriage was blessed with three children- Joseph Williams, Mark Towner Williams, and Jennifer Williams.
How did John Williams’ wife Barbara Ruick die?
Barbara Ruick passed away on March 3, 1974, in Reno, Nevada. She was 43 years old at the time of her death. The cause of her death was revealed to be a cerebral hemorrhage. Ruick was found dead in her hotel room in Reno, Nevada while on location with her last film, Robert Altman’s California Split, which is dedicated to her. She was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. 10 years after Ruick’s passing, John Williams found love again, he is married to Samantha Winslow.
Author
Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right and needs corrections, Kindly contact us!
