Mission Impossible legend Lalo Schifrin has died aged 93.
The award-winning composer wrote the world famous theme for the Mission Impossible TV series, which later became a blockbuster movie franchise starring Tom Cruise. it comes just weeks after the release of the latest Mission Impossible movie – The Final Reckoning.
The Argentine music legend died surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles. His son Ryan confirmed his famous dad died due to complications from pneumonia.
In a statement to CBS News, Ryan said he “passed peacefully.” He said: “His family was at his side, and he passed peacefully.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“We are grateful for the opportunity to be there for him. We are still trying to process this loss, and are very moved by all the love and support we have received.”
Schifrin was nominated for six Oscars and won four Grammys during his incredible career, in which he scored over 100 film and TV soundtracks. His Oscar nods came from his scores for films such as The Sting II, The Amityville Horror, Cool Hand Luke, and Dirty Harry.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
In 2018, Schifrin received an honorary lifetime achievement Oscar “in recognition of his unique musical style, compositional integrity and influential contributions to the art of film scoring.” The award was presented to him by acting legend Clint Eastwood.
Schifrin said upon accepting the award: “Receiving this honorary Oscar is the culmination of a dream. It is mission accomplished.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences paid tribute to the composer’s “genius”. In a post on X, they wrote: “The countdown begins. The fuse lights. The music hits and suddenly, you’re in it.
“That was the genius of Lalo Schifrin. With six Academy Award nominations and iconic scores for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, THE FOX, BULLITT, AND THE STING II, Schifrin didn’t just write music, he built tension, ignited adrenaline, and gave stories their pulse. We’ll forever remember the composer who turned every beat into a thrill, and every silence into suspense.”
Schifrin has revealed that he composed the theme with nothing on screen to help him, and that maybe that’s why it was so successful. He told the AP in 2006: “The producer called me and told me, ‘You’re going to have to write something exciting, almost like a logo, something that will be a signature, and its going to start with a fuse.’
“So I did it and there was nothing on the screen. And maybe the fact that I was so free and I had no images to catch, maybe that’s why this thing has become so successful because I wrote something that came from inside me.”
Mission: Impossible won Grammys for best instrumental theme and best original score from a motion picture or a TV show. In 2017, it was was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
