British singer and composer Monty Norman, who invented the famous motif for the James Bond film score, died on Monday at the age of 94. Norman died after a short illness, according to the musician’s website.
The short musical motif became one of the most famous trademarks of the globally successful Bond films, along with the saying “My name is Bond, James Bond”, every fan can hum it.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Monty Norman after a short illness on July 11, 2022,” reads the composer’s website, which features the artist beaming with laughter.
In 1962 Norman wrote the song for the first film with the British secret agent – “James Bond – 007 chases Dr. no”. However, the producers were not happy with the result and commissioned the film’s composer, John Barry, to rearrange the title track.
Barry later claimed authorship – in 2001, however, Norman won a lawsuit against the “Sunday Times”, which in turn had awarded the song to Barry in 1997. The newspaper had to pay the equivalent of almost 50,000 euros in damages. Barry, who died in 2011, had huge success in his career with the film music for cinema hits such as “Out of Africa” with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep or “Asphalt Cowboy” with Dustin Hoffmann.
Monty Norman was born on April 4, 1928 in London, he got his first guitar at 16. He began a career as a singer; in the 1950s and early 1960s he performed with jazz bands and in variety shows. Eventually he devoted himself to composing songs for, among others, Cliff Richards and Tommy Steele.
