James Newton Howard - Details

Biography

For five-time Oscar-nominated composer JAMES NEWTON HOWARD, everything came together when he discovered the art of film scoring. In 1985, after a decade of working with some of the top acts in pop, Howard combined his love of rock and pop music with his lifelong classical training. The mix of precision and passion that resulted has served him well in the short time it has taken him to become one of Hollywood’s most versatile and in-demand composers.

Howard, who was recently honored with ASCAP’s prestigious Henry Mancini Award for lifetime achievement, now has more than 65 films to his credit, including the recent successes Dinosaur, The Sixth Sense and Runaway Bride. He is currently working on two additional Disney animated features, Atlantis: The Lost Continent and Treasure Planet. He also provided the score for The Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan’s next feature, Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson.
In addition to his five Oscar nominations including three for Best Original Score for The Fugitive, The Prince of Tides and My Best Friend’s Wedding he has been rewarded for his diversity with numerous Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations.

Howard’s other film credits include Snow Falling on Cedars, A Perfect Murder, Glengarry Glen Ross, Space Jam, Restoration, Waterworld, Wyatt Earp, Grand Canyon, Junior and Pretty Woman.
The song “Look What Love Has Done,” from 1994’s Junior, earned him the OscarÒ and Golden Globe nominations for Best Song. His theme to Dying Young, performed by Kenny G, brought a Grammy nomination, and from the film One Fine Day, the song For The First Time brought nominations for both an Academy AwardÒ and a Golden Globe. Among his Emmy nominations is one for the groundbreaking theme to the acclaimed television series, ER.
Having become one of the most sought-after musicians in the industry, he racked up a string of collaborations in the studio with some of pop’s biggest names, including Barbra Streisand, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, Toto, Glenn Frey, Olivia Newton-John, Randy Newman, Rickie Lee Jones, Cher and Chakha Khan.

Events

  • 9th June 1951 - Birth