Laurie Johnson
, the composer of the soundtrack of
The Avengers,
the famous television series of the '60s,
died at the age of 96
, the recording company Bucks Music Group announced this Monday.
Johnson, who also composed soundtracks for other successful series, such as
The Professionals
and
SpongeBob SquarePants
, died "in his sleep," according to the story of those close to him.
The family of the
renowned composer and producer published a note in his memory
, in which they highlighted that Laurie left "a legacy that will always resonate in our hearts."
"We remember Laurie as an extraordinary person who embraced life with passion and brought joy to so many people.
His kindness, compassion and infectious sense of fun
and laughter will be deeply missed by all who knew him," the family added in the statement.
"
Laurie's music touched the lives of millions of people
around the world. Throughout his illustrious career, he composed numerous iconic scores, themes and soundtracks that
graced our lives
in film, television, theater and radio "they added.
In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his contribution to the world of music.
A life dedicated to music
Laurie Johnson
was born in London on February 7, 1927
.
He studied music at the
Royal College of Music
, a prestigious conservatory located in his hometown.
Towards the '50s he began composing film soundtracks, and then entered the world of television.
In his early career, he was in charge of scoring several series for children, among which
Animal Magic
stands out .
In 1965 she composed the memorable soundtrack for
The Avengers,
the series starring actors
Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee.
This was one of the most important milestones in her career on television.
It was after this great success that Johnson founded
Mark One Productions
, the television production company in charge of developing
The New Avengers
and
The Professionals
, series for which he also composed the soundtrack.
Scene from "The Avengers", a classic series, dating from the pre-streaming era.
Laurie Johnson not only worked in series and movies:
she also entered the world of theater
.
One of her most notable works in this field is the musical adaptation of the British play Lock
up
your
daughters
.
In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II awarded the producer
the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his contribution to the world of music
and culture in Great Britain.
A year later, Johnson created the musical piece
Vivat Regina
(
Long Live the Queen
) to commemorate the year in which Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning sovereign in British history.
EFE Agency