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His James Bond theme music became famous: Monty Norman (archive image)
Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
The lyricist and film composer Monty Norman, who wrote the famous theme music for the James Bond films, is dead. Norman died on Monday after a short illness, according to the musician's official website.
The BBC also reported, citing Norman's family.
Monty Norman was 94 years old.
In 1962 Norman wrote the music for »James Bond – 007 chases Dr.
No«, the first feature film about the famous secret agent.
Norman says he used a piece from a musical he wrote as the basis for the now iconic James Bond Theme, which was never performed.
Norman had to defend himself in court
Monty Norman twice successfully defended himself in court against the claim that he did not write the piece of music, but rather the composer John Barry.
Because the Bond producers weren't really happy with Norman's arrangement at the time, they commissioned Barry to rearrange the theme again.
Barry later claimed authorship for himself.
In 2001, however, Norman won a lawsuit against the "Sunday Times", which in turn had awarded the song to Barry in 1997.
The newspaper had to pay the equivalent of almost 50,000 euros in damages.
Barry, who died in 2011, had huge success in his career with the film music for cinema hits such as »Out of Africa« with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep or »Asphalt Cowboy« with Dustin Hoffmann.
Monty Norman first made a name for himself as a singer in big bands in the 1950s before becoming a successful lyricist and composer.
Born in London, he wrote songs for Cliff Richard and Count Basie, among others, and created various shows and musicals for London's West End.
For »James Bond – 007 hunts Dr.
No, he also wrote the song Underneath The Mango Tree, which ur-Bond Sean Connery and Ursula Andress briefly intonate in one of the film's most iconic scenes.
ani/dpa