TITANIC COMPOSER DIES IN PLANE CRASH AGED 61

James Horner, the Oscar-winning composer of Titanic, has died aged 61 in a plane crash in southern California. A single-engine plane registered to Horner crashed near Santa Barbara on Monday morning. The identity of the pilot was not initially known, but Horner’s death was later confirmed by Sylvia Patrycja, his assistant, on her Facebook page, the Hollywood Reporter reported.

“We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent,” Patrycja wrote. “He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support.”

The plane – a S-312 Tucano MK1 turbo-prop with two seats – crashed about 9.30am local time on Monday in the Los Padres national forest, said Mike Lindbery, a spokesman for the Ventura County fire service. No one else was on board.

Horner was a trained pilot and before news of his death was released, Jay Cooper, a lawyer for the family, confirmed the plane was one of several the composer owned.

Born in Los Angeles in 1953 to a production designer, Harry Horner, and his wife, Joan, Horner trained at the Royal College of Music in London before returning to study for a degree in music at the University of Southern California.

After a composing career which began in the concert hall, Horner cut his teeth in Hollywood in the late 70s on The Lady in Red. He earned his first Academy award nomination for Aliens and went on to score more than 100 films, including the blockbusters Braveheart, Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind.

Horner won two Oscars for his work on James Cameron’s Titanic in 1997, one of them for Celine Dion’s hit song My Heart Will Go On, which he co-wrote with Will Jennings. The film has the bestselling orchestral soundtrack of all time.

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