Jerry Goldsmith

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Biography

Born on February 10, 1929, Jerry Goldsmith studied piano with 'Jakob Gimpel' . Jerry Goldsmith died at age 75 on July 21, 2004 after a long battle with cancer.

  • Primary profession
  • Music_department·soundtrack·composer
  • Country
  • United States
  • Nationality
  • American
  • Gender
  • Male
  • Birth date
  • 10 February 1929
  • Place of birth
  • Los Angeles
  • Death date
  • 2004-07-21
  • Death age
  • 75
  • Place of death
  • Beverly Hills· California
  • Cause of death
  • Natural causes
  • Children
  • Joel Goldsmith·Aaron Goldsmith·Carrie Goldsmith
  • Spouses
  • Carol Heather Goldsmith
  • Education
  • USC Thornton School of Music
  • Knows language
  • English language

Music

Lyrics

Movies

Books

Awards

Trivia

Wore an ape mask when conducting the score for Planet of the Apes .

Children with Hennagin: Ellen, Carrie Goldsmith , Jennifer and composer Joel Goldsmith.

Frequently chose Alexander Courage as orchestrator for his scores.

Composed the 1976 Paramount TV jingle used from the fall of 1976 to the fall of 1978.

Regularly conducts concerts of his music in London, with the London Symphony Orchestra.

For most of his career, he chose the late Arthur Morton to orchestrate his scores. Later, as Morton aged, he also added in Alexander Courage. After Courage retired, he used Mark McKenzie as his primary orchestrator.

Son, Aaron, with second wife, Carol Heather Goldsmith.

He considered Total Recall one of his best scores.

Studied under Mikls Rzsa.

Buried at the beautiful Hillside Memorial Park - 6001 Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, California.

His opening theme for The Mummy was used in the opening for the trailer of The Road to El Dorado .

First choice to compose The Thing . When he passed, Ennio Morricone was hired.

Was offered the score for the first Superman film, which eventually went to John Williams. He later went on to score (and win acclaim for) Supergirl some six years later.

The Secret of NIMH was his first music score for an animated film. He later said that it was among his personal favorites. He was instrumental in introducing the film to Steven Spielberg , who went on to work with Bluth on An American Tail . According to Bluth and Goldman in their DVD commentary, Goldsmith so loved the film that he volunteered an extra three weeks to polish and refine the score, even though he was not contractually obligated to do so.

First choice to compose Predator , but was unavailable.

Stated repeatedly that his score for the drama film Islands in the Stream is his favorite of anything he has done.

He said during the DVD commentary track for Basic Instinct that it was the most complex film score he had ever composed.

In a speech during a tribute to him, fellow composer Henry Mancini noted Goldsmiths versatility, musical genius, and ability to completely change his style for each score he wrote. Mancini further stated, "frankly, he scares the hell out of the rest of us".

When the first score for Chinatown , composed by Phillip Lambro , was rejected by the studio, Goldsmith was hired to rewrite the films music. He composed and recorded the new score in only three weeks, a now legendary accomplishment.

His scores for Chinatown and Planet of the Apes are respectively ranked #9 and #18 on AFIs 100 Years of Film Scores.

He considered Star Trek: First Contact the best Star Trek film he ever scored.

When his score for The Omen was nominated for the Academy Award, he was so sure he would lose again after eight nominations that he almost did not attend the ceremony. The producer of "The Omen", Harvey Bernhard , talked him into it, positive that Goldsmith would win for sure. When it looked like the late Bernard Herrmann would win for either Taxi Driver or Obsession , Goldsmith was surprised when he was announced as the winner, just like Bernhard promised.

Wrote the current Universal Pictures logo theme used since 1997.

Jerry Goldsmith received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumous. It can be found at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard which is right in front of the Music Institute.

Quotes

If our music survives, which I have no doubt it will, then it will be,because it is good.

With them I can do any kind of picture. After the human voice, they are,the most expressive instrument I know.

If our music survives, which I have no doubt it will, then it will because it is good. .

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