‘Titantic’ Composer James Horner Dies in Plane Crash

Academy Award-winning music composer James Horner has been killed in a plane crash.

Horner won two Oscars for the movie Titanic – one for its theme song My Heart Will Go On, performed by Celine Dion, and another for the film’s score.

He received Oscar nominations for his music in Apollo 13, Braveheart, Field of Dreams, Aliens and Avatar.

Horner, who was 61 years old, died when his single-engine plane crashed Monday about 160 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. No one else was on board the plane.

Horner’s scores carried films to their climax and accompanied top actors as they delivered some of their most moving performances.

Tender kisses in The Amazing Spider-Man, grand battles in Troy and moments of stirring drama in A Beautiful Mind were set up by Horner’s compositions.

American film hits of the 1990s, such as Patriot Games, Searching for Bobby Fischer and Jumanji also were composed by Horner. In addition, he scored popular animated films The Land Before Time (1988) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).

Horner was nominated for an Oscar for the song Somewhere Out There in An American Tail.

Top actors and directors in the film and television world paid tribute to Horner online. Academy Award winning director Ron Howard wrote on Twitter, «Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on seven movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones.»