John Barry (1933 - 2011), born in the city of York, Northern England, was a British composer and conductor who provided the musical scores for more than 100 motion pictures and television programs, notably 11 movies featuring Ian Fleming’s iconic spy James Bond: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun, Moonraker, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, and The Living Daylights.

He initially played the piano and trumpet at dances and as an army bandsman during his military service. He formed in 1957 a rock-and-roll band, the John Barry Seven, and worked with pop singers, including Adam Faith. After agreeing to compose the scores for two films in which Faith had been cast, Barry was approached to do the musical arrangements for Dr. No.

As he continued his career as a composer, he captured five Academy Awards for Born Free (and Oscars for both best score and best song); The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa (1985), and Dances with Wolves (1990), as well as nominations for Mary Queen of Scots (1971) and Chaplin (1992).

His other film scores include Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Somewhere in Time (1980), Body Heat (1981), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), and Enigma (2001). He also composed for the stage, including the moderately successful musicals Passion Flower Hotel (1965) and Billy (1974), and won four Grammy Awards, notably best jazz instrumental performance, big band, for the film sound track of The Cotton Club (1984).

In 1998 John Barry was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; in 1999 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) at Buckingham Palace for services to music, and received the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Academy Fellowship Award in 2005. Also in 2005, the American Film Institute ranked John Barry's score for Out of Africa No.15 on their list of the greatest film scores.

Flying over Africa

Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra

Richard Kaufman, Conductor