Last night, the news broke that a plane registered to composer James Horner had crashed, and soon it was confirmed that Horner was the pilot and had perished in the crash. Horner was the master composer of most of James Cameron’s films, including Titanic, Aliens, and Avatar, and he also wrote the music for Sneakers, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Rocketeer, and many other great films.
Cameron paid tribute to Horner in a statement, saying “the orchestra loved him. No matter how Titanic turned out, I knew it would be a great score.” In April, Titanic was shown in London with a live orchestra performing the score. Cameron and Horner saw each other, “we had a kind of reunion. It was emotional, and I’m glad that was my last personal memory of James.”
Cameron, and his long time producer, also told the Associated Press, “James’ music was the air under the banshees’ wings…James’ music affected the heart because his heart was so big…”
Other reactions include Celine Dion, who wrote that she and her husband / manager Rene “are shaken by the tragic death of James Horner…we will always remember his kindness and great talent that changed my career.” And Ron Howard tweeted, “Brilliant composer, friend and collaborator on 7 movies…My heart aches for his loved ones.”
We at TG are also big fans of Horner’s work as well, and listening to his music in memory of his passing has made us sad, but he clearly has an incredible legacy, and also know his scores will live on for a long time to come.
