Titanic composer and Oscar winner James Horner dies in plane crash

Oscar-winning Titanic composer James Horner has died after a single-engine plane registered to him crashed in southern California. The crash happened at around 9.30am local time on Monday near Quatal Canyon in Los Padres National Forest, Ventura County fire spokesman Mike Lindbery said. The identity of the pilot has not been officially released, but Jay Cooper, a lawyer for Mr Horner, said no one has heard from him since the crash.

Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones.

Ron Howard

He said: “It was his plane and if he wasn’t in it, he would’ve called.” No one else was on board the plane, which is one of several owned by the 61-year-old composer. Mr Horner has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning two for 1997’s best picture, Titanic. He composed the film’s score and its enduring theme song, My Heart Will Go On, which was sung by Celine Dion. His scores for Aliens, Apollo 13, Field Of Dreams, Braveheart, A Beautiful Mind, House Of Sand And Fog and Avatar also earned Oscar nominations, as did his original song, Somewhere Out There from An American Tail.