Titanic composer James Horner dies

The Hollywood composer who wrote the score for the Oscar-winning film Titanic has died in a plane crash in California aged 61

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The Oscar-winning composer James Horner has died in a plane crash in southern California.

A single-engine plane registered to the 61-year-old crashed at about 9.30am local time yesterday near Quatal Canyon in Los Padres National Forest, said Mike Lindbery, a spokesman for Ventura County fire service.

_{Scattered debris at the site of crash of plane owned by composer James Horner near the town of Ventucopa, California. Photo: Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department/AP}

Crews extinguished a fire that erupted in vegetation, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, as a result of the plane becoming engulfed in flames upon impact. The pilot was killed, and no one else was on board.

Jay Cooper, a lawyer for Horner, said that the plane was one of several owned by the composer, and that the identity of the pilot was not initially known. Horner's death was confirmed by Sylvia Patrycja, who is Horner's assistant.

^{James Horner pictured in 2013. Photo: GmbH/REX Shutterstock}
"We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent," Patrycja wrote on Facebook. "He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love."
Horner leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
Perhaps best known for composing the score for the 1997 film Titanic, Horner also co-wrote the music and lyrics to the film’s biggest hit, 'My Heart Will Go On', sung by Celine Dion.

_{James Horner pictured with Celine Dion and Will Jennings at the 1998 Academy Awards. Photo: REX}
Horner won an Oscar for the Titanic film score and one for its theme song. His score for Titanic sold 27 million copies worldwide.
_{^{Titanic: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Photo: 20th Century Fox}}
• Titanic: the Telegraph's original 1997 film review
Actor and director Ron Howard tweeted:

Russell Crowe, Rob Lowe, Josh Groban and other celebrities have also paid tribute to the composer on Twitter: