James Horner, Composer of 'Titanic', Dies in Plane Crash

James Horner, the American composer who won an Oscar for the score of 'Titanic', has died in a plane crash. His private plane crashed on Monday, June 22, in the Santa Barbara area of California. Following the incident, Sylvia Patricia, a collaborator of the composer, wrote on her Facebook page: 'We lost an amazing human being with a big heart and incredible talent. He passed away while doing something he loved. Thank you for all your support and kindness, and I will see you again one day.' James Horner, 61, was piloting the plane himself and reportedly did not realize that the altitude of the aircraft had dropped significantly during flight, leading to the accident. Horner was first nominated for an Oscar in 1986 for the score of 'Aliens', directed by James Cameron. Throughout his career, he was nominated for the Oscar eight times for films such as 'Braveheart', 'Avatar', 'House of Sand and Fog', and 'Apollo 13'. Born in 1953 in Los Angeles, he was the son of Harry Horner, a production designer in Hollywood, and studied music at the University of Southern California after training at the Royal College of Music in London. After composing several concert pieces, he turned to film music in the late 1970s and early 1980s, starting with scores for 'The Lady in Red' and 'Star Trek II'. After Horner's death, James Cameron, who worked with him on 'Titanic' and 'Avatar', shared a memory with Hollywood Reporter: 'My last personal memory of James is from a few months ago when his orchestra performed at the Royal Albert Hall and played the entire score of 'Titanic' while the film was screened, and I met him again. It created a very emotional atmosphere, and I am glad that this is my last memory of James.' James Horner was set to compose the score for 'Avatar 2'.