Hollywood composer Goldsmith dies

Goldsmith wrote music for more than 300 films and TV shows

Award-winning TV and film composer Jerry Goldsmith has died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 75.

Goldsmith created music for many classic shows, ranging from Star Trek and Planet of the Apes to The Man from Uncle and Perry Mason.

His personal assistant Lois Carruth said he died on Wednesday night after a long battle with cancer.

Over nearly 50 years he was nominated for 17 Academy Awards, winning one, and was also honoured with five Emmys.

GOLDSMITH'S WORK Composed more than 300 pieces of music for TV and films Best-known TV works included The Man from Uncle and The Waltons Alien, Chinatown and Papillon among his movie scores Obituary: Jerry Goldsmith

He won the 1976 Academy Award for his score for horror film The Omen, and Emmys for TV work including Star Trek: Voyager and Babe.

He wrote music for a string of classic movies including Escape From The Planet Of Apes, Papillon, Chinatown, Alien and Poltergeist.

He also composed pieces for The Mummy, LA Confidential, Basic Instinct, Rambo III and Gremlins.

Classically-trained

Among several dozen TV compositions were themes for Dr Kildare, The Waltons and Police Woman.

Goldsmith was a classically-trained composer and conductor who began musical studies at the age of six.

GOLDSMITH'S LIFE Born in February 1929 Studied piano, composition, theory and counterpoint Attended classes in film composition at the University of Southern California

Many of his TV and movie scores have become classics in their own right, and he sometimes seemed virtually synonymous with soundtracks.

He took on action hits such as Total Recall, as the Star Trek movies and more lightweight fare like his most recent movie theme for last year's Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

Goldsmith also wrote a fanfare that is used in the TV coverage of the Academy Awards. He was also nominated for nine Golden Globe awards.

Some of his motion picture scores were adapted for ballets. Goldsmith also wrote composed orchestral pieces and taught occasional music classes at local universities.

He is survived by his wife, Carol; five children, six grandchildren and a great-grandchild.