Veteran Hollywood Composer James Horner Killed In Plane Crash

The Hollywood music community has lost a prolific and respected member of its ranks with the news that veteran film composer James Horner has died aged 61 after crashing his single-occupant plane late on Monday (US time).

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Horner's death was confirmed by his assistant, Sylvia Patrycja Wells, who wrote on her Facebook page that the composer "died doing what he loved" when his plane went down about 60 miles (about 96.5 kilometres) north of Santa Barbara, California.

"Thank you all for your support and love," she wrote, indicating she would be taking a hiatus from social media to allow herself time to mourn.

Horner was a two-time Academy Award winner and wrote scores for a range of celebrated films, including Titanic — for which he picked up his Oscars, one for original dramatic score and one for his co-write with lyricist Will Jennings on Celine Dion's 1997 mega-hit My Heart Will Go On — as well as Braveheart, Avatar, Aliens and Field Of Dreams.

Not only that, but he was nominated for eight further Oscars, for his work on films such as Apollo 13, House Of Sand & Fog, An American Tail and A Beautiful Mind, plus his name is forever attached to scores from films such as 1979's Lady In Red, 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan and 1983's Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, Patriot Games (1992), Jumanji (1995), 2000's How The Grinch Stole Christmas, 2004 epic Troy and 2012 reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.

Even though he's no passed, we have not yet heard the last from the decorated Horner; in fact, he has work yet to be heard in three impending films: Southpaw (July), Wolf Totem (September) and The 33 (November).