James Bond's iconic theme composer Monty Norman passes away
Jul 11, 2022
London [UK], July 11 : British composer Monty Norman, who was the man behind the iconic James Bond theme, has passed away at the age of 94.
According to Variety, a statement posted on his official website stated, "It is with sadness we share the news that Monty Norman died on 11th July 2022 after a short illness."
Norman had most famously composed the film score for the 1962 James Bond movie 'Dr. No', starring Sean Connery. His theme for James Bond, as arranged by fellow Englishman John Barry, would go on to become the theme for the entire franchise.
As Norman said on his site, "We recognized we needed a fresh, contemporary sound for the main theme, and in the up-and-coming young John Barry we found a wonderful arranger, so the whole thing worked very well."
However, controversy erupted decades later when Barry claimed authorship of the theme, resulting in Norman suing the Times of London for libel over a 1997 story disputing Norman's contention that he was the true composer, the outlet reported.
A jury in London's High Court ruled in Norman's favour in 2001, awarding him 30,000 pounds plus court costs. The composer later said he felt vindicated by the decision.
As per Variety, Norman, born in Stepney, East London, sang in big bands during the 1950s and 1960s. When Norman was 16 years old, his mother bought him a guitar, convincing the seller to reduce the price from GBP 17 to GBP 15.
His other credits included 'So Who Needs Marriage?' and 'Pinocchio'. Norman also won Evening Standard, Olivier and Ivor Novello best musical awards for 'Songbook' in 1979 and 1981.
