The film music community received a bit of sad and shocking news today: composer Michael Kamen has died. He was only 56, but he had been battling multiple sclerosis for a number of years.
Kamen wrote the scores for all the Lethal Weapon films, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the first X-Men film, the James Bond film Licence to Kill, and — my favorite score of his — Mr. Holland’s Opus. Kamen’s work will also be known to rock fans; he was behind a lot of the orchestral stuff used by “arena bands” like Pink Floyd.
Yet again I have to wonder why creativity and the ability to bring pleasure to many people is so often not rewarded with long life.
Farewell, Michael Kamen.
