James Horner, Oscar-Winning Composer of ‘Titanic,’ Dead in Plane Crash
The 61-year-old musician died Monday when the plane he was piloting crashed near Santa Barbara
He was not on the list.
James Horner, the two-time Oscar-winning composer, died Monday in a plane crash outside Santa Barbara, California. He was 61.
The Santa Barbara County Fire department arrived at the scene of the crash near Ventucopa, about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, at approximately 9.30 a.m. and discovered debris. There were no survivors at the scene.
According to CBS2 in Los Angeles, the FAA issued an alert for a single-engine S-312 Tucano MK-1. The crash sparked a brush fire, the station reported.
Ron Howard, who worked with Horner on a number of films including “A Beautiful Mind,” confirmed his death via Twitter.
“Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones,” Howard wrote.
Calling Horner a “dear friend and client,” Horner’s talent agency, the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, expressed its shock and sadness, and asked for privacy for Horner’s family.
“Although we are all awaiting official confirmation that our dear friend and client James Horner was in fact the pilot, we are shocked and deeply saddened to learn that his single-engine aircraft was involved in a fatal crash yesterday morning in northern Ventura County,” the agency said. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with James’ family at this difficult time. We can offer no further comment for the time being, except to ask that the family’s privacy be respected in the days ahead.”
In a storied career that began with 1979’s “The Lady in Red,” Horner scored more than 100 features and earned a remarkable 10 Academy Award nominations. He won two in 1998, for the score of “Titanic” as well as the ubiquitous chart-topping ballad “My Heart Will Go On” (he shared the latter award with Will Jennings). He also won three Grammy Awards for his work on the “Titanic” soundtrack, which sold more than 30 million copies and became the top-selling movie soundtrack album in history.
His compositions were noted for their old-fashioned craftsmanship, the frequent use of Celtic elements (particularly in his work on James Cameron films like “Titantic” and “Avatar”) and the reliance on new technology to achieve traditional sonic affects, as with the use of an all-digital choir for “Titanic.”
The son of a set designer, Horner was born in Los Angeles and took up piano at age 5. He studied at London’s Royal Academy of Music for five years before returning to California for a B.A. from USC. He then earned a doctorate from UCLA, where he worked with Paul Chiara.
By the time of his first Oscar nominations in 1987, for composing Cameron’s sci-fi classic “Aliens” score and co-writing the song “Somewhere Out There” from the animated film “An American Tail,” Horner had already scored more than 36 features, many of them low-budget productions from schlockmeister Roger Corman.
He followed with nominations for 1989’s “Field of Dreams,” 1995’s “Braveheart” and “Apollo 13,” 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind,” 2003’s “House of Sand and Fog” and 2009’s “Avatar.”
Horner recently completed work on the score for Antoine Fuqua‘s boxing drama “Southpaw,” which The Weinstein Company is set to release on July 24.
In addition to his love of music, Horner had a lifelong passion for flying since his boyhood days growing up around air shows, as he recounted in a 2009 TV documentary called “The Horsemen Cometh.” He reportedly owned five aircraft.
Awards and nominations
Horner won two Academy Awards, for Best Original Dramatic Score (Titanic) and Best Original Song ("My Heart Will Go On") in 1998, and was nominated for an additional eight Oscars. He also won two Golden Globe Awards,[68] three Satellite Awards, three Saturn Awards, six Grammys, and was nominated for three British Academy Film Awards.
In October 2013, Horner received the Max Steiner Award at the Hollywood in Vienna Gala, an award given for extraordinary achievement in the field of film music.
In 2005, the American Film Institute unveiled their list of the top twenty-five American film scores. Five of Horner's scores were among 250 nominees, making him the most nominated composer to not make the top twenty-five.
Field of Dreams (1989)
Glory (1989)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Braveheart (1995)
Titanic (1997)
List of accolades
Award Year Project Category Outcome
Academy Awards 1987 Aliens Best Original Score Nominated
"Somewhere Out There" (from An American Tail; shared with Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann) Best Original Song Nominated
1990 Field of Dreams Best Original Score Nominated
1996 Apollo 13 Best Original Dramatic Score Nominated
Braveheart Best Original Dramatic Score Nominated
1998 Titanic Best Original Dramatic Score Won
"My Heart Will Go On" (from Titanic; shared with Will Jennings) Best Original Song Won
2002 A Beautiful Mind Best Original Score Nominated
2004 House Of Sand And Fog Best Original Score Nominated
2010 Avatar Best Original Score Nominated
BAFTA Awards 1996 Braveheart Best Film Music Nominated
1998 Titanic Best Film Music Nominated
2010 Avatar Best Film Music Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association 1997 Titanic Best Original Score Won
2001 A Beautiful Mind Best Original Score Nominated
2009 Avatar Best Original Score Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 1987 "Somewhere Out There" (from An American Tail; shared with Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann) Best Original Song Nominated
1990 Glory Best Original Score Nominated
1992 "Dreams to Dream" (from An American Tail: Fievel Goes West; shared with Will Jennings) Best Original Song Nominated
1995 Legends of the Fall Best Original Score Nominated
1996 Braveheart Best Original Score Nominated
1998 Titanic Best Original Score Won
"My Heart Will Go On" (from Titanic; shared with Will Jennings) Best Original Song Won
2002 A Beautiful Mind Best Original Score Nominated
2010 Avatar Best Original Score Nominated
"I See You" (from Avatar; shared with Kuk Harrell and Simon Franglen) Best Original Song Nominated
Satellite Awards 1997 Titanic Best Original Score Won
"My Heart Will Go On" (from Titanic; shared with Will Jennings) Best Original Song Won
2001 A Beautiful Mind Best Original Score Nominated
"All Love Can Be" (from A Beautiful Mind; shared with Will Jennings) Best Original Song Won
2003 The Missing Best Original Score Nominated
Saturn Awards 1983 Brainstorm Best Music Won
Krull Best Music Nominated
Something Wicked This Way Comes Best Music Nominated
1985 Cocoon Best Music Nominated
1986 An American Tail Best Music Nominated
1989 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Best Music Nominated
1995 Braveheart Best Music Nominated
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas Best Music Won
2009 Avatar Best Music Won
Grammy Awards
1988: An American Tail – Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television
1988: "Somewhere Out There" (from: An American Tail, Winner) – Song of The Year
1988: "Somewhere Out There" (from: An American Tail, Winner) – Best Song Written specifically For a Motion Picture or Television
1990: Field of Dreams – Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television
1991: Glory (Winner) – Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
1996: "Whatever You Imagine" (from: The Pagemaster) – Best Song Written specifically For a Motion Picture or Television
1999: "My Heart Will Go On" (from: Titanic, Winner) – Record of The Year
1999: "My Heart Will Go On" (from: Titanic, Winner) – Song of The Year
1999: "My Heart Will Go On" (from: Titanic, Winner) – Best Song Written For A Motion Picture or for Television
2003: A Beautiful Mind – Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
2011: Avatar – Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
2011: "I See You" (from: Avatar) – Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
List of scores
Film
1970s
1978 The Drought (for the American Film Institute)
1978 Fantasies (for the American Film Institute)
1978 Gist and Evans (for the American Film Institute)
1978 Landscapes (for the American Film Institute)
1978 Just for a Laugh (for the American Film Institute)
1978 The Watcher (for the American Film Institute)
1979 The Lady in Red
1979 Up from the Depths (only 2 or 3 cues)
1980s
Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes
1980 Humanoids from the Deep Barbara Peeters New World Pictures
Battle Beyond the Stars Jimmy T. Murakami New World Pictures Score reused in later Roger Corman productions
1981 The Hand Oliver Stone Orion Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures
Wolfen Michael Wadleigh Orion Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures Replaced Craig Safan
Deadly Blessing Wes Craven PolyGram Pictures
United Artists
The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper Roger Spottiswoode Universal Pictures
1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Nicholas Meyer Paramount Pictures First Collaboration with Nicholas Meyer
48 Hrs. Walter Hill Paramount Pictures First Collaboration with Walter Hill
1983 Space Raiders Howard R. Cohen New World Pictures Score edited from Humanoids from the Deep and Battle Beyond the Stars
Something Wicked This Way Comes Jack Clayton The Bryna Company
Walt Disney Pictures Replaced Georges Delerue
Krull Peter Yates Columbia Pictures
Brainstorm Douglas Trumbull Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Testament Lynne Littman Paramount Pictures
The Dresser Peter Yates Columbia Pictures
Gorky Park Michael Apted Orion Pictures (original theatrical release)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (current rights)
Uncommon Valor Ted Kotcheff Paramount Pictures
1984 The Stone Boy Christopher Cain 20th Century Fox
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Leonard Nimoy Paramount Pictures
1985 Heaven Help Us Michael Dinner HBO Pictures
TriStar Pictures
Cocoon Ron Howard 20th Century Fox First collaboration with Ron Howard
Volunteers Nicholas Meyer TriStar Pictures Second collaboration with Nicholas Meyer
The Journey of Natty Gann Jeremy Kagan Walt Disney Pictures Replaced Elmer Bernstein
Commando Mark L. Lester Silver Pictures
20th Century Fox
1986 Off Beat Michael Dinner Silver Screens Partners II
Touchstone Pictures
Aliens James Cameron Brandywine Productions
20th Century Fox Oscar nomination
First Collaboration with James Cameron
Where the River Runs Black Christopher Cain Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Name of the Rose Jean-Jacques Annaud RAI
Constantin Film
FR3
20th Century Fox (North America)
Columbia Pictures (International)
An American Tail Don Bluth Sullivan Bluth Studios
Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures Grammy Winner, Oscar & Golden Globe nomination; also wrote "Somewhere Out There" with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil for Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
First collaboration with Don Bluth
1987 P.K. and the Kid Lou Lombardo Sunn Classic Pictures
Project X Jonathan Kaplan 20th Century Fox
*batteries not included Matthew Robbins Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures
1988 Willow Ron Howard Lucasfilm
Imagine Entertainment
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Second collaboration with Ron Howard
Red Heat Walter Hill Carolco Pictures
TriStar Pictures Second Collaboration with Walter Hill
Vibes Ken Kwapis Imagine Entertainment
Columbia Pictures
The Land Before Time Don Bluth Sullivan Bluth Studios
Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures also wrote "If We Hold On Together" with Will Jennings for Diana Ross
Second collaboration with Don Bluth
Cocoon: The Return Daniel Petrie 20th Century Fox
1989 Field of Dreams Phil Alden Robinson Universal Pictures Oscar nomination, First Collaboration with Phil Alden Robinson
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Joe Johnston Walt Disney Pictures First Collaboration with Joe Johnston
In Country Norman Jewison Warner Bros. Pictures
Dad Gary David Goldberg Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures
Glory Edward Zwick TriStar Pictures Golden Globe nomination
1990s
Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes
1990 I Love You to Death Lawrence Kasdan TriStar Pictures
Another 48 Hrs. Walter Hill Paramount Pictures Third Collaboration with Walter Hill
1991 Once Around Lasse Hallström Cinecom Entertainment
Universal Pictures
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys Stuart Rosenberg The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Class Action Michael Apted Interscope Communications
20th Century Fox
The Rocketeer Joe Johnston Gordon Company
Silver Screen Partners IV
Walt Disney Pictures Second collaboration with Joe Johnston
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West Phil Nibbelink
Simon Wells Amblimation
Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures Golden Globe nomination; also wrote "Dreams to Dream" with Will Jennings for Linda Ronstadt
1992 Thunderheart Michael Apted TriBeCa Productions
TriStar Pictures
Sneakers Phil Alden Robinson Universal Studios Second Collaboration with Phil Alden Robinson
Unlawful Entry Jonathan Kaplan Largo Entertainment
20th Century Fox
Patriot Games Phillip Noyce Paramount Pictures
1993 Swing Kids Thomas Carter Hollywood Pictures
A Far Off Place Mikael Salomon Touchwood Pacific Partners
Amblin Entertainment
Walt Disney Pictures
Jack the Bear Marshall Herskovitz 20th Century Fox
Once Upon a Forest Charles Grosvenor ITV
Hanna-Barbera Productions
20th Century Fox also wrote "Once Upon A Time With Me" with Will Jennings for Florence Warner
House of Cards Michael Lessac Miramax Films
Hocus Pocus Kenny Ortega Walt Disney Pictures Only wrote "Sarah's Theme" with Brock Walsh; film scored by John Debney
Searching for Bobby Fischer Steven Zaillian Paramount Pictures
The Man Without a Face Mel Gibson Icon Productions
Warner Bros. Pictures
First Collaboration with Mel Gibson
Bopha! Morgan Freeman Paramount Pictures
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story Phil Nibbelink
Simon Wells Amblimation
Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures also wrote "Roll Back The Rock (To The Dawn Of Time)" with Thomas Dolby for Little Richard
The Pelican Brief Alan J. Pakula Warner Bros. Pictures
1994 Clear and Present Danger Phillip Noyce Paramount Pictures
The Pagemaster Joe Johnston Turner Feature Animation
20th Century Fox (North America)
Turner Pictures (International) also wrote "Whatever You Imagine" with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil for Wendy Moten
Third Collaboration with Joe Johnston
Legends of the Fall Edward Zwick Bedford Falls Productions
TriStar Pictures Golden Globe nomination; also wrote "Twilight and Mist" with Brock Walsh
1995 Braveheart Mel Gibson Icon Productions
The Ladd Company
Paramount Pictures (North America)
20th Century Fox (International) Oscar, Golden Globe & BAFTA nomination
Second collaboration with Mel Gibson
Casper Brad Silberling Harvey Films
Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures
Apollo 13 Ron Howard Imagine Entertainment
Universal Pictures Oscar nomination
Third collaboration with Ron Howard
Jade William Friedkin Paramount Pictures
Jumanji Joe Johnston Interscope Communications
TriStar Pictures Fourth Collaboration with Joe Johnston
Balto Simon Wells Amblimation
Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures also wrote "Reach for the Light" with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil for Steve Winwood
1996 The Spitfire Grill Lee David Zlotoff Castle Rock Entertainment
Columbia Pictures Replaced Bennie Wallace
Courage Under Fire Edward Zwick Davis Entertainment
20th Century Fox
To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday Michael Pressman Rastar
Triumph Films
Ransom Ron Howard Icon Productions
Imagine Entertainment
Touchstone Pictures Replaced Howard Shore
Fourth Collaboration with Ron Howard
1997 The Devil's Own Alan J. Pakula Columbia Pictures
Titanic James Cameron Lightstorm Entertainment
Paramount Pictures (North America)
20th Century Fox (International) Oscar, Golden Globe & Grammy winner, BAFTA nomination; also wrote "My Heart Will Go On" with Will Jennings for Celine Dion
Second Collaboration with James Cameron
1998 Deep Impact Mimi Leder Paramount Pictures (US)
DreamWorks Pictures (International)
The Mask of Zorro Martin Campbell Amblin Entertainment
TriStar Pictures also wrote "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" with Will Jennings for Tina Arena and Marc Anthony
First Collaboration with Martin Campbell
Mighty Joe Young Ron Underwood RKO Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
1999 Bicentennial Man Chris Columbus 1492 Pictures
Touchstone Pictures (North America)
Columbia Pictures (International) also wrote "Then You Look at Me" with Will Jennings for Celine Dion
2000s
Year Title Director(s) Studio(s) Notes
2000 The Perfect Storm Wolfgang Petersen Warner Bros. Pictures also wrote "Yours Forever" with Will Jennings for John Mellencamp
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Ron Howard Imagine Entertainment
Universal Pictures also wrote "Where Are You, Christmas?" with Mariah Carey and Will Jennings for Faith Hill; based on a book by Dr. Seuss.
Fifth collaboration with Ron Howard
2001 Enemy at the Gates Jean-Jacques Annaud Mandalay Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Iris Richard Eyre BBC Films
Intermedia
Mirage Enterprises
Miramax Films
A Beautiful Mind Ron Howard Imagine Entertainment
DreamWorks Pictures
Universal Pictures Golden Globe & Oscar Nominee; also wrote "All Love Can Be" with Will Jennings for Charlotte Church
Sixth collaboration with Ron Howard
2002
Windtalkers John Woo Lion Rock Productions
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Four Feathers Shekhar Kapur Lakeshore Entertainment
Mandeville Films
Paramount Pictures (US)
Miramax Films (International)
2003 Beyond Borders Martin Campbell Mandalay Pictures
Paramount Pictures Second Collaboration with Martin Campbell
Radio Michael Tollin Tollin/Robbins Productions
Revolution Studios
Columbia Pictures
The Missing Ron Howard Revolution Studios
Imagine Entertainment
Columbia Pictures Seventh collaboration with Ron Howard
House of Sand and Fog Vadim Perelman DreamWorks Pictures Oscar Nominee
2004 Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius Rowdy Herrington Film Foundry Releasing
Troy Wolfgang Petersen Warner Bros. Pictures Replaced Gabriel Yared; also wrote "Remember" with Cynthia Weil for Josh Groban and Tanja Carovska
The Forgotten Joseph Ruben Revolution Studios
Columbia Pictures
2005 The Chumscrubber Arie Posin Newmarket Films
Equity Pictures
Go Fish Pictures (through DreamWorks Pictures)
Flightplan Robert Schwentke Imagine Entertainment
Touchstone Pictures
The Legend of Zorro Martin Campbell Spyglass Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment
Columbia Pictures Third Collaboration with Martin Campbell
The New World Terrence Malick New Line Cinema
2006 All the King's Men Steven Zaillian Relativity Media
Phoenix Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Apocalypto Mel Gibson Icon Productions
Touchstone Pictures Third collaboration with Mel Gibson
2007 The Life Before Her Eyes Vadim Perelman 2929 Entertainment
Magnolia Pictures
2008 The Spiderwick Chronicles Mark Waters Nickelodeon Movies
The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Paramount Pictures
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Mark Herman BBC Films
Heyday Films
Miramax Films
2009 Avatar James Cameron Lightstorm Entertainment
Dune Entertainment
Ingenious Film Partners
20th Century Fox Golden Globe, BAFTA & Oscar Nominee; also wrote "I See You" with Kuk Harrell and Simon Franglen for Leona Lewis
Third collaboration with James Cameron
2010s
Year Title Director(s) Studio(s) Notes
2010 The Karate Kid Harald Zwart Overbrook Entertainment
JW Productions
China Film Group
Columbia Pictures
2011 Day of the Falcon Jean-Jacques Annaud Image Entertainment
2012 Cristiada Dean Wright ARC Entertainment
20th Century Fox
The Amazing Spider-Man Marc Webb Marvel Entertainment
Columbia Pictures
2015 Wolf Totem Jean-Jacques Annaud
One Day in Auschwitz Steve Purcell Documentary
Living in the Age of Airplanes Brian J. Terwilliger Terwilliger Productions Documentary
Southpaw Antoine Fuqua Escape Artists
Fuqua Films
The Weinstein Company Posthumous release
The 33 Patricia Riggen Alcon Entertainment
Phoenix Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures Posthumous release
2016 The Magnificent Seven Antoine Fuqua Village Roadshow Pictures
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Columbia Pictures Posthumous release
With Simon Franglen
Theme by Elmer Bernstein
Television
1981 A Few Days in Weasel Creek
1981 Angel Dusted
1982 A Piano for Mrs. Cimino
1982 Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
1983 Between Friends
1985 Amazing Stories ("Alamo Jobe")
1985 Surviving
1990 Tales from the Crypt ("Cutting Cards")
1990 Extreme Close-Up
1992 Fish Police (theme and pilot episode)
1992 Crossroads (theme)
1999 Michelle Kwan Skates to Disney's Greatest Hits
2000 Freedom Song
2006 CBS Evening News
Short films
1986 Captain EO
1989 Tummy Trouble
2012 First in Flight
Other
2015 album "Pas de deux (Horner)" released in May 2015.
Pandora – The World of Avatar, theme park land and attractions; composed with Simon Franglen
The 1990-1997 Universal Studios fanfare
The 1996 Imagine Entertainment fanfare
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