Italian composer Ennio Morricone, whose work helped define hundreds of movies, died early Monday in Rome, according to the Associated Press. His theme for 1967's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is among cinema's most iconic.
You might also recognize his work from Roland Joffé's 1986 movie The Mission, which starred Robert De Niro. Some of his other major projects included compositions for Brian de Palma's The Untouchables in 1987 and Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, which earned him an Oscar in 2016.
"There isn't a great soundtrack without a great film that inspires it," he said in his acceptance speech.
Prior to The Hateful Eight, Tarantino used classic Morricone scores in Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.
Outside movies, Metallica has used The Ecstasy of Gold (from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) to open concerts since the '80s. And Morricone's 1971 song Here's to You was in Metal Gear Solid 4.
GSA Music, which represented Morricone, said in statement on Monday that it's grieving the loss of a friend and client. "We shared 32 memorable years of his gifted music and friendship giving the world a soundtrack to our lives. RIP," said a representative for the agency.
