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Wednesday 1 June 2011

NEWS: That John Barry Bond composer dies age 77

Composer John Barry, famous for his work on Born Free, Out of Africa and the films of James Bond, died in New York of a heart attack aged 77.

Born John Barry Prendergast in 1933, the musician born in York was first found fame as leader of the John Barry seven.

His arrangement of theme of James Bond of Monty Norman led him to compose the scores for 11 films in the series, among them Goldfinger and you only live twice.

His work has seen him win five Oscars, while he received a scholarship from the Bafta in 2005.

His most recent music film featured in the 2001 Enigma war thriller, while a musical version of Brighton Rock, created with lyricist Don Black, had her first London in 2004.

Black, who has worked with the composer on his Born Free, Thunder and diamonds are eternal songs, Barry said remains affected by its international success.

"The thing on John that I always remember if it has never changed," said.

"It was very well the Yorkshireman, be it to Beverly Hills or Manhattan."

Sir Tim Rice - who has worked with Barry on all time high, the song heard on the title of the sequence of 1983 film Octopussy Bond - also cited the roots of the composer, remembering "tint slight Yorkshire his voice which he never lost".

"Film seemed to bring out the best in him," he said of a man who "could catch the mood of a scene or a whole film by the genius of orchestration with enough conventional instruments."

Awarded an OBE in 1999 for his services to music, Barry was renowned for its lush strings, orchestral swell and elegant melodies.

His work is a new audience when Robbie Williams featured music from you only live twice on its Millennium single hit 1998.

Films Bond composer David Arnold current made tribute to his predecessor via Twitter.

"I am deeply saddened by the news but deeply grateful for everything he has done for music and for me personally," he said.

Son-in-law of Barry, Simon Jack BBC business journalist, said he "really enjoyed writing music as people enjoyed listening to it."

"He considered as much a playwright as a composer and his music was inextricably linked to the stories told on the screen."

Jack also remind him: a wickedly funny man whose "passion, sense of humour and engineering terribly miss his family and his friends".

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Born Free star Virginia McKenna said that Barry was "a wonderful musician and composer".

Friend Michael Crawford, said at the same time, he wrote "some want of the most beautiful and memorable film scores that we may never hear".

First Oscars of Barry arrived in 1967 for his Born Free score and its iconic title theme.

Several Oscars followed for original bands, that he wrote Out of Africa for the Lion in winter, and dances with wolves.

Barry also won four Grammy Awards, a Bafta for the Lion in winter and a Golden Globe for Out of Africa.

His work for television included themes for Juke Box Jury and advisers, while his soundtrack work included albums eternal echoes and The Beyondness of Things.

In 2002, he was appointed an honorary Freeman of the city of York, an honour, he received in a place in the city where it was used once to play the trumpet in the 1950s.

Barry, who lived in Oyster Bay, Long Island, mourning Laurie, his wife of 33 years, four children and five grandchildren.

His family said funeral arrangements would be private and that a memorial service will be held the United Kingdom later this year.

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