'Bond' composer John Barry dies
'Bond' composer John Barry dies
Mon 31 Jan 9:43 AM
John Barry, famed for composing 'James Bond' music, has died of a heart attack. He was 77.
According to fellow Bond composer Dave Arnold, Barry suffered a fatal heart attack on Monday morning. Arnold wrote on Twitter, "It was with a heavy heart that I tell you John Barry passed away this morning.
"I am profoundly saddened by the news but profoundly thankful for everything he did for music and for me personally."
The British composer wrote the score for James Bond's first big screen outing - 1962's 'Dr No' - and went on to write several other theme tunes in the series, including 'Goldfinger', 'From Russia With Love' and 'Diamonds Are Forever'.
As well as composing 11 films in the 'James Bond' series, the five-times Oscar winner worked on scores for, amongst others, 'Midnight Cowboy', 'Out of Africa', 'Zulu', 'The Lion in Winter' and 'Born Free'.
'Born Free' star Virginia McKenna hailed the composer as a 'wonderful musician'.
John Barry's son-in-law, Simon Jack, said, "(He) truly loved writing music as much as people enjoyed listening to it. He saw himself as much a dramatist as a composer and his music was inextricably linked to the stories told on the screen.
"(His) passion, genius and sense of humour will be terribly missed by his family and friends."
Barry was honoured with a BAFTA fellowship in 2005.
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