James Horner, ‘Titanic’ & ‘Braveheart’ Composer, Dies In Plane Crash

James Horner, the lauded composure who scored Titanic, Braveheart and many other notable films, died in a plane crash Monday. He was 61.

James Horner Dies

Horner’s death was confirmed by his personal assistant Sylvia Patrycja on Facebook. “We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent,” she wrote. “He died doing what he loved.”

On Monday, it was reported that Horner’s single-engine S312 Tucano tuboprop plane had gone down roughly 60 miles north of Santa Barbara. However, it was not immediately clear that Horner had been piloting the plane and had died in the tragic accident.

“It is with the deepest regret and sorrow that we mourn the tragic passing of our dear colleague, long-time client and great friend, composer James Horner,” read a statement from Horner’s agency Gorfaine/Schwartz. “Our thoughts and prayers are with James’ family at this difficult time, and also with the millions of people around the world who loved his music. A shining light has been extinguished, which can never be replaced.”

“It has been an honor and a privilege to have worked with James since the inception of our agency,” the statement continued. “For more than three decades, his unique creative genius made an indelible imprint on each of our lives and on those of the entire Hollywood community. There is not a person in our GSA family who wasn’t touched by the power and reach of his music, and who isn’t diminished by his loss.”

Over the course of his career, Horner was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning two for his work on Titanic – one for Best Original Song (“My Heart Will Go On”) and other for Best Original Dramatic Score. His other Academy Award nods were for Aliens, An American Tail, Field of Dreams, Braveheart, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, House of Sand and Fog and Avatar. 

Horner, who had partnered with filmmaker James Cameron numerous times throughout his career, was reportedly working with him on the forthcoming Avatar sequels at the time of his death. In 2015, Horner has three films coming out, including boxing drama Southpaw with Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams. 

Horner is survived by his wife Sara and daughters Emily and Becky.