Monty
Norman,
a
British
composer
who
wrote
the
theme
tune
for
the
James
Bond
films,
has
died.
He
was
94.
A
statement
posted
Monday
on
Norman's
official
website
said:
“It
is
with
sadness
we
share
the
news
that
Monty
Norman
died
on
11th
July
2022
after
a
short
illness.”
Born
Monty
Noserovitch
to
Jewish
parents
in
the
East
End
of
London
in
1928,
Norman
got
his
first
guitar
when
he
was
16.
He
performed
with
big
bands
and
in
a
variety
double
act
with
comedian
Benny
Hill
before
writing
songs
for
early
British
rockers
Cliff
Richard
and
Tommy
Steele
and
composing
for
stage
musicals
including
“Make
Me
an
Offer,”
“Expresso
Bongo,”
“Songbook”
and
“Poppy.”
Norman
was
hired
by
producer
Albert
“Cubby”
Broccoli
to
compose
a
theme
for
the
first
James
Bond
film,
“Dr.
No,”
released
in
1962.
He
drew
on
a
piece
he
had
written
for
a
proposed
musical
adaptation
of
V.S.
Naipaul's
“A
House
for
Mr.
Biswas,”
shifting
the
key
riff
from
sitar
to
electric
guitar.
The
result
—
twangy,
propulsive,
menacing
—
has
been
used
in
all
25
Bond
thrillers.
Producers
hired
composer
John
Barry
to
rearrange
the
theme,
and
Barry
was
widely
assumed
to
have
written
it
—
to
Norman's
chagrin.
Barry,
who
died
in
2011,
went
on
to
compose
scores
for
almost
a
dozen
Bond
films,
including
“Goldfinger”
and
“You
Only
Live
Twice.”
Norman
went
to
court
to
assert
his
authorship,
suing
the
Sunday
Times
newspaper
for
libel
over
a
1997
article
asserting
the
theme
was
composed
by
Barry.
He
won
in
2001
and
was
awarded
30,000
pounds
in
damages.