Oscar winning composer Ennio Morricone has died at the age of 91 after working films such as “The Hateful Eight,” “The Thing” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”…
Ennio Morricone — the Oscar winning composer behind music from films such as “The Hateful Eight” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” — has died at age 91.
The legendary composer recently suffered a fall and broke his femur before being hospitalized according to his lawyer in a statement to the New York Times. He died on Monday in Rome.
Throughout his career, Morricone worked on some of the most iconic scores in film history, particularly in the spaghetti western genre where he teamed up with directors such as Sergio Leone as well as Pier Paolo Pasolini, Terrence Malick, and Brian De Palma.
One of his most famous scores came for the 1966 film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” which included the iconic theme to the movie as well as the track “Ecstasy of Gold,” which has been sampled and replayed in dozens of other films and songs. The band Metallica famously opens all of their concerts to “Ecstasy of Gold,” and they even paid tribute to him following word of his passing on Monday.
R.I.P. Ennio Morricone
Your career was legendary, your compositions were timeless. Thank you for setting the mood for so many of our shows since 1983. pic.twitter.com/ac1QZ9QLPs— Metallica (@Metallica) July 6, 2020
Morricone also teamed up with horror icon John Carpenter to create the score to his classic film “The Thing.”
In recent years, Morricone’s work slowed but he still composed the score to Quentin Tarantino’s epic western “The Hateful Eight” after he had previously used his past music in many of his films. Morricone took home a much deserved Oscar for his work on that film in 2016 after previously missing out on earning an Academy Award for any of his previous scores.
Prior to his death, Morricone actually penned his own obituary, which was released on Monday following news of his passing.
“I, Ennio Morricone, am dead. I am announcing it this way to all my close friends and even to those who have been a bit distant, I say goodbye with much love. It is impossible to name you all.”
“My life partner [Maria] I would like to renew the extraordinary love that held us together and I am sorry to abandon our love. The most painful farewell is to you.”
