At approximately 9:30am on Monday, local time, a plane registered to film composer James Horner crashed, near Santa Barbara, California. The pilot was killed immediately, there were no others on the plane.
At the time the victim’s identity was unknown, though Horner’s long-time attorney Jay Cooper told the Hollywood Reporter that no one had spoken to him since. It was more or less universally accepted that the pilot was in fact Horner. This evidence was later confirmed by his assistant Sylvia Patrycja, who posted on Facebook commemorating the devastating loss.
“We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent… He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road.”
James Horner was one of the most important musical composers of our time, scoring prolific films such as Apollo 13, Titanic, Braveheart, Avatar and A Beautiful Mind. He has won two Oscars, in the Best Music, Original Song category and Best Music, Original Dramatic score categories, both for Titanic. At the time of his death, aged 61, he was currently at work on scores for the two sequels planned to Avatar.
The circumstances of the plane crash are still being investigated, as it is unclear if the plane was brought down by mechanical failure or the pilot’s own mistake. Regardless, we have lost an incredibly important musician. He will be remembered not only by those who loved him, but through the countless films that he brought to life with music.
Here are some of Horner’s most well-known themes: