A Tribute To James Horner

August 14, 1953 - June 22, 2015

American film composer

Elements known for - Choral, Electronic, Celtic

2 Academy Awards -

- James Cameron's Titanic (1997)*

*Best-selling orchestral soundtrack of all time

- James Cameron's Avatar (2009)*

*Highest-grossing film of all time

Academy Nominations -

- Aliens (1986)

- An American Tail (1986)

- Field of Dreams (1989)

- Apollo 13 (1995)*

*Based on real events

- Braveheart (1995)*

*Based on real events

- House of Sand and Fog (2003)

6 Grammy Awards ... 2 Golden Globe Awards

3 BAFTA Award nominations

Other noted scores -

- Star Trek II:  The Wrath of Khan (1982)

- Willow (1988)

- The Land Before Time (1988)

- Glory (1989)*

*Based on real events

- The Rocketeer (1991)

- Legends of the Fall (1994)

- Jumanji (1995)

- Casper (1995)

- Balto (1995)

- The Mask of Zorro (!998)

- Deep Impact (1998)

- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

- Troy (2004)

- The New World (2005)

- The Legend of Zorro (2005)

- Apocalypto (2006)

- The Karate Kid (2010)

- The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Posthumous releases -

- Southpaw (2015)

- The 33 (2015)

- The Magnificent Seven (2016)

 

James Horner passed away in a plane crash in 2015.  He was flying.  There were no other passengers.  He was 61 years old.

Point of intrigue - James considered himself as having Asperger Syndrome based on how he perceived his mental "wiring."

James Horner had an extensive and honoring career that included well over one hundred works and collaborations.  His stamp on Hollywood scores were profound and highlighted more than the best any movie could be.

Think about my beloved commercial jingles and what viewers are inclined to do.  Think about twice the size with film and soundtracks.  Are you as keen?  In this post, consider Set List and "Fort Knox" way back then.  In this post, consider James Horner and A Beautiful Mind.  What do you want to learn?  What do you want to feel?  What do you want to enjoy?

...and all because of the first note to a score that defines the tone.

All that has been written here is just the tip of the iceberg.  Read about James's background on Wikipedia.

Rest in peace.  Your music will live and inspire forever.