Composer John Barry Dies At 77
Jan. 31, 2011, 11:25 a.m.
Legendary, Oscar-winning composer John Barry has died at the age of
Legendary, Oscar-winning composer John Barry has died at the age of 77. Barry is known for scoring films like Goldfinger, Midnight Cowboy, Dances With Wolves, Out of Africa, and more—including his first Bond film, Dr. No. However, his contribution to Dr. No has been disputed, and he goes uncredited for any work done on it; he's been quoted as saying "If I didn't write it, why did they ask me to do the other ones?" He went on to write music for 11 more Bond films.
Barry was in New York (where he has been living) at the time of his death, the cause of which has not been released, according to the AP. However, other reports say he had a sudden heart attack. He is survived by his wife Laurie, his four children and five grandchildren. A private funeral is planned.
Listen to Barry talk about working in cinema (his father owned 8 movie theaters, which he worked in) at BBC. And back in 2009 Vanity Fair published a great profile on "The Man Who Knew The Score." Below are some videos, including the Midnight Cowboy instrumental he won a Grammy for:
