LONDON – Composer John Barry, who won five Oscars for his film work but was best known for his contributions to a dozen James Bond movies, has died aged 77. Barry died in New York on Sunday, his family said.
The English-born composer won two Oscars, for the score and the song, for ‘Born Free’ in 1966, and he earned single statuettes for ‘The Lion Winter’ (1968), ‘Out of Africa’ (1985) and ‘Dances with Wolves’ (1990). He was also nominated for his scores for ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’ in 1971 and ‘Chaplin’ in 1992. His association with ‘Agent 007’ began controversially with ‘Dr. No’ in 1962, although his contribution was not credited.
He wrote music for a dozen Bond films in all. Monty Norman, who was credited as the composer for ‘Dr. No,’ sued The Sunday Times in 2001 for reporting that Barry had been called in to help after Norman’s inspiration faltered. Norman won the case, collecting 30,000 pounds ($48,000). Barry, who was not sued, had testified that he was paid 250 pounds to work on the music but had agreed that Norman would get the credit, which was his contractual right.
“The James Bond movies came because we were successful in the pop music world, with a couple of big instrumental hits. They thought I knew how to write instrumental hit music,” Barry said in an interview in 1991. Barry was divorced three times.
He is survived by his wife Laurie, his four children and five grandchildren.
A private funeral was planned, the family said.
