# John Barry 1933 - 2011



## dmg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12321610

Was just listening to the Dances with Wolves score yesterday.



> *Bond composer John Barry dies aged 77*
> 
> Composer John Barry, famous for his work on Born Free, Out of Africa and the James Bond films, has died in New York of a heart attack aged 77.
> 
> Born John Barry Prendergast in 1933, the York-born musician first found fame as leader of the John Barry Seven.
> 
> His arrangement of Monty Norman's James Bond theme led to him composing scores for 11 films in the series, among them Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.
> 
> His work saw him win five Oscars, while he received a Bafta fellowship in 2005.
> 
> His most recent film score featured in the 2001 war thriller Enigma, while a musical version of Brighton Rock, created with lyricist Don Black, had its London premiere in 2004.
> 
> Black, who worked with the composer on his Born Free, Thunderball and Diamonds are Forever theme songs, said Barry remained unaffected by his international success.
> 
> "The thing about John that I will always remember was he never changed," he said.
> 
> "He was very much the Yorkshireman, whether he was in Beverly Hills or Manhattan."
> 
> Sir Tim Rice - who worked with Barry on All Time High, the song heard over the title sequence of 1983 Bond movie Octopussy - also cited the composer's roots, remembering the "slight Yorkshire tinge to his voice which he never lost".
> 
> "Film seemed to bring out the very best in him," he said of a man who "was able to catch the mood of a scene or a whole film by the genius of orchestration with fairly conventional instruments".
> 
> Awarded an OBE in 1999 for his services to music, Barry was renowned for his lush strings, orchestral swells and elegant melodies.
> 
> His work found a new audience when Robbie Williams featured music from You Only Live Twice on his 1998 hit single Millennium.
> 
> Current Bond film composer David Arnold paid tribute to his predecessor via Twitter.
> 
> "I am profoundly saddened by the news but profoundly thankful for everything he did for music and for me personally," he said.
> 
> Barry's son-in-law, BBC business reporter 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."
> 
> Jack also remembered him as "a wickedly funny man" whose "passion, genius and sense of humour will be terribly missed by his family and friends".
> 
> Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Born Free star Virginia McKenna said Barry was "a wonderful musician and composer".
> 
> Close friend Michael Crawford, meanwhile, said he had written "some of the most memorable and beautiful film scores we could ever wish to hear".
> 
> Barry's first Oscars came in 1967 for his Born Free score and its iconic title theme.
> John Barry, pictured in 1967 He won Oscars for Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves
> 
> More Academy Awards followed for the soundtracks he wrote for The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves.
> 
> Barry also won four Grammys, a Bafta for The Lion in Winter and a Golden Globe for Out of Africa.
> 
> His work for TV included the themes for Juke Box Jury and The Persuaders, while his non-soundtrack work included the albums Eternal Echoes and The Beyondness of Things.
> 
> In 2002 he was named an Honorary Freeman of the City of York, an honour he received at a venue in the city where he once used to play trumpet in the 1950s.
> 
> Barry, who lived in Oyster Bay, Long Island, is survived by Laurie, his wife of 33 years, his four children and five grandchildren.
> 
> His family said funeral arrangements would be private and that a memorial service would be held in the UK later this year.


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## the_emptier

rest in peace!


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## Sid James

I enjoyed all of those films, the scores included. RIP...


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## Nix

He was a great film composer and I think his music reflected how much he loved his job.


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## Edward Elgar

What a fantastic composer. I loved the scores to 'Out of Africa' and 'Dances with Wolves', but the best have to be for James Bond!!!


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## musicfan

The greatest film composer of all time. Please listen to this:

John Barry - We Have All The Time In The World (instrumental)






JOHN BARRY 'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' Suite






John Barry Somewhere in time - Theme






James Bond - Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang






I don't think some people realize how great Barry was. A film composer genius. A total legend. RIP


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## Rondo

A great composer and conductor, whose work will always be remembered.


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## Rob

I was very saddened when I heard of this. Listened to "You only live twice" and a few other Bond scores all day long. R.I.P. Maestro.


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