3 November 1933 – 30 January 2011
John Barry OBE, the Oscar-winning composer, Ivor Novello award winner and Fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers has died. Barry passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of 77.
The composer was internationally celebrated for his iconic scores to many of the James Bond films and was one of the world’s greatest film composers.
Born John Barry Prendergast, Barry became interested in music at a young age but only started performing during his National Service stint. Possessing a talent for arranging music, he formed The John Barry Seven and had a pop hit with Hit and Miss, the theme music to the BBC TV programme Juke Box Jury. After a swathe of film and TV theme tunes, in 1959 EMI signed Barry to arrange the orchestral elements to their artist’s records.
The producers of the James Bond film Dr. No spotted Barry’s work at EMI and asked him to compose the movie’s score. Barry went on to score a further eleven Bond movies, devising a sound that contributed heavily to the spy series’ iconic status.
Aside from the Bond films, Barry’s work includes classic scores to Born Free, Dances With Wolves, The Lion In Winter and Out Of Africa, for which he won Oscars, Midnight Cowboy, Zulu, The Ipcress File and the theme from The Persuaders.
If you'd like to leave a tribute to John Barry, please leave a comment.
John Barry OBE, the Oscar-winning composer, Ivor Novello award winner and Fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers has died. Barry passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of 77.
The composer was internationally celebrated for his iconic scores to many of the James Bond films and was one of the world’s greatest film composers.
Born John Barry Prendergast, Barry became interested in music at a young age but only started performing during his National Service stint. Possessing a talent for arranging music, he formed The John Barry Seven and had a pop hit with Hit and Miss, the theme music to the BBC TV programme Juke Box Jury. After a swathe of film and TV theme tunes, in 1959 EMI signed Barry to arrange the orchestral elements to their artist’s records.
The producers of the James Bond film Dr. No spotted Barry’s work at EMI and asked him to compose the movie’s score. Barry went on to score a further eleven Bond movies, devising a sound that contributed heavily to the spy series’ iconic status.
Aside from the Bond films, Barry’s work includes classic scores to Born Free, Dances With Wolves, The Lion In Winter and Out Of Africa, for which he won Oscars, Midnight Cowboy, Zulu, The Ipcress File and the theme from The Persuaders.
If you'd like to leave a tribute to John Barry, please leave a comment.
