Josef Willems was born on March 12, 1908 in Eschweiler near Aachen and spent his youth in a very music-oriented home. After graduating from high school, he studied church music and conducting at the Cologne Music Academy and school music in Berlin. After completing his studies, he initially worked in his hometown and during this time also made contact with Herbert von Karajan, who worked in neighboring Aachen. Willems was Karajan's permanent harpsichordist at the concerts of the Aachen Orchestra. In the autumn of 1937 he was appointed by Karajan to be a candidate for Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater Aachen. A short time later he conducted well-known operas. After all German theaters were closed in the war year of 1944, Willems was drafted into the Wehrmacht. He was buried during a bomb attack and ended up in the hospital. After the end of the war, Josef Willems took over various choirs in the Offenbach, Wiesbaden and Lohr area. For more than 30 years he worked as deputy federal choirmaster in the music committee of the Maintaler-Sängerbund. In addition, Josef Willems worked as an adjudicator at numerous musical competitions. As an employee of the Hessian Radio, he conducted many concerts and recordings of the radio orchestra. Josef Willems was a gifted musician and excellent choir director. At the age of 48 he went into the Hessian school service and retired as a senior teacher. This time was filled with composing, conducting, concert preparations and house concerts, and he was particularly proud of his "Steinway grand piano". On September 24, 1995, Josef Willems died in a clinic in Kornwestheim.