Very sad news to report tonight as composer James Horner has died in a plane crash at the age of 61. Reports came in earlier this evening that a small aircraft registered to Horner had crashed and that the pilot had been killed. THR reports that his assistant, Sylvia Patrycja, has confirmed Horner’s death.
"We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent," Patrycja posted on Facebook on Monday night. "He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road."
Horner won an Oscar for Best Score for Titantic and for Best Original Song for “My Heart Will Go On”, the anthem for every teenage girl who saw that movie a hundred times. That may seem like hyperbole, but the score sold over 27 million copies worldwide.
Horner, who worked frequently with James Cameron, was also nominated eight more times including nominations for Aliens, Avatar, Field of Dreams, Apollo 13, and Braveheart. That’s not to mention his brilliant work that may not have netted him an Oscar nomination, but still endures—Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Glory, Searching for Bobby Fischer, and Courage Under Fire just to name a few.
I adored some of Horner’s scores, and I was driving in my car when I heard he died. I put on the end titles of Apollo 13 and lost myself in it. I also can’t listen to “The Place Where Dreams Come True” from Field of Dreams without tearing up.
Our deepest condolences go out to Mr. Horner’s family and friends.
