Los Angeles--James Horner, the celebrated composer of the scores of several Hollywood smash-hit films including "Titanic" and "Avatar," died Monday in a plane crash at the age of 61, US media reported.
Hollywood trade magazine Variety reported the composer died when his private aircraft crashed in Santa Barbara, California.
"Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones," wrote director and colleague Ron Howard on Twitter.
Horner won two Oscars for his work on "Titanic" - one for its theme song "My Heart Will Go On", performed by Celine Dion, and another for the film's score.
He also won Oscar nominations for the music of numerous other box-office hits, including "Apollo 13," "Braveheart" and "Field of Dreams." His first nomination came in 1986 for the sci-fi horror film "Aliens."
Horner's most recent Oscar nomination was for another sci-fi epic, James Cameron's 2009 blockbuster "Avatar".
AFP
