Without a doubt, John Barry is one of the most famous composers ever to work in cinema. John Barry Prendergast was born on November 3, 1933 in York. His father owned a chain of small cinemas, and his mother was once a concert pianist with good classical training. Since childhood, he began to learn to play the piano, later as a teenager he discovered jazz and began to play the trumpet. His idol was trumpeter Harry James, and his favorite composers were Duke Ellington, Woody Herman and Benny Goodman. At the age of fifteen, he left school and got a job as a film mechanic in a movie theater owned by his father. It was then that his main passion - music, added his love for cinema. As a young man, Barry played the trumpet in a local orchestra and took lessons with the organist of York Cathedral, who taught him composition and piano. He did not leave his music classes and while serving in the army in 1952-1955.
When he returned home, he assembled a group called John Barry Seven, which included some of his army friends and musicians. In 1957 they moved to London. In addition to their own performances, as an accompanying band, they played with then-British stars like Tommy Steele and Adam Faith and played along with American singer Paul Anke during his tour of the UK. In different compositions, the group existed until 1965, and during this time managed to record several of their own songs that became hits. At the same time, Barry began working as an arranger with various performers. When collaborating singer Adam Faith began acting in the psychological drama Beat Girl (1960, Edmond T. Graville), Barry was asked to write the music for this film. This picture was Barry's first experience in cinema.
In 1962, the spy action movie "Doctor No" (Direct Terence Young), the first in a series of famous films about the secret agent James Bond, which glorified not only the lead actor Sean Connery, but also John Barry, who wrote the main musical theme for this film - "Theme of James Bond". Producers of Dr. No Albert Broccoli and Harry Salzman were pleased and invited the composer to work on Terence Young’s next film, From Russia with Love (1963). Since then, Barry’s music has been an integral part of the James Bond films for more than twenty years. In 1964, his soundtrack to the next Bond action movie "Goldfinger" (Director Guy Hamilton) pushed the first place in the American charts album "A Hard Day's Night" famous "The Beatles".
However, his fame Barry owes not only to Bond films: in 1967 he first received the award "Oscar" as the author of music and song for the film "Born Free" (1966, James Hill), and in 1969 was again awarded this award for music to the famous historical dramas Anthony Harvey (1968, "Leave Harvey"). In addition to his instrumental music, he is also known as the author of a number of songs played in various films. His songs were performed by Shirley Basie, Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, and "We Have All the Time in the World" from the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was sung by one of the idols of his youth - Louis Armstrong. In the mid-seventies, together with his co-author, the textual poet Don Black, he composed the musical "Billy" based on the novella by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall "Billy the Liar". The musical, in which the main role was played by actor and singer Michael Crawford, was a great success and went on the London theater scene for two and a half years.
Talking about Barry's work in cinema, it is impossible not to mention such films as "Zulus" (1964, dir. Cy Endfield), "Midnight Cowboy" (1969, dir. John Schlesinger), "King Kong" (1976, dir. John Gillermin), "Robin and Marian" (1976, dir. Richard Lester), "Hannover's" (1985), "Fraston" (Africa), "Fraston Resp" Peter "Fras" (Fraston, "Africa"). Sidney Pollack, Oscar for Best Music. In total, Barry wrote music for more than a hundred films. The musical palette of the composer throughout his career was quite diverse and ranged from jazz- and rock-based pop melodies to orchestral compositions with rich, rich arrangements. In the late eighties, the health of the composer was significantly shaken and due to a serious illness, he had to take a forced leave of absence for two years. With the help of experienced doctors, he found the strength to resume work and in 1990 he made a triumphant return with music to Kevin Costner’s western Dance with Wolves, for which Barry received his fourth Oscar. A few years later, he was nominated again for this award for Richard Attenborough’s film Chaplin (1992). In June 1999, for his achievements in the field of music, the composer was awarded the rank of officer of the British Empire. After signing with Decca in 1998, he began recording original music for the first time in many years. One of these works was recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra album "The Beyondness of Things" (1999), consisting of small orchestral pieces. Barrie continues to work in the cinema, although not as intensively as before.
Selected filmography: "Doctor No" (1962, directed by Terence Young), "From Russia with Love" (1963, dir. "Scie Endfield", "Goldfinger" (1964), "Dossier of Ipress" (1965, Regina, "Jogenres" (1974), "Gresson" (1974), "Jogenresson Rege" (1974), "Jogeniereston", "Jogenerge" (1974), "Greston", "Jorge" (1974), "Jogener, Rege", "Jogenerge", "Gresssston", (1974), "Jogenerge" (1974), "Jogen, "Jogener, Rege", "Jogenerge", "Jogener, Rege", "Jogener, Rege", "Jose), "Gresss