James Horner, the two-time Oscar-winning composer responsible for such iconic scores as Titanic, Field of Dreams, Glory, and Aliens, has died following the crash of a small plane Monday.
A fixed-wing single-engine plane registered to Horner, who was an avid flyer, crashed in Southern California, killing the pilot—the only person on board and starting a brush fire. THR reports that Horner’s assistant Sylvia Patrycja mourned Horner on Facebook, writing, “We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent.”
Horner, who began playing piano at age five and trained at the Royal College of Music in London, banked over 150 composer credits, from 1978’s The Watcher through the forthcoming Southpaw. He won two Oscars in 1998, for his Titanic score and for co-writing the film’s theme, “My Heart Will Go On.” He was nominated for eight additional Oscars, and even competed against himself in 1996, when he was nominated for both Apollo 13 and Braveheart.
Horner was 61.