John Barry Prendergast
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John Barry composed music for 11 James Bond films, more than any other composer. He won five Academy Awards, including for Born Free, Out of Africa, and Dances with Wolves. His Bond theme and scores like Goldfinger defined the sound of 007. He also wrote for films such as Midnight Cowboy and The Lion in Winter, and was appointed OBE in 1999.
Names, aliases, and relatives of John Barry — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
John Barry by the numbers — life, work, and family.
John Barry — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
At age fourteen, John Barry Prendergast was running the projection box at The Rialto in York. His father, Jack Xavier Prendergast, owned eight cinemas. Born in York, North Yorkshire, on November 3, 1933, Barry decided to become a film composer while at St. Peter’s School. He studied piano, trumpet, and theory with Dr. Francis Jackson of York Minster and William Russo. After three years in the army as a bandsman, he formed the John Barry Seven in 1957.
Barry’s break came in 1959 when he met singer Adam Faith on the BBC show Six-Five Special. He arranged Faith’s hit What Do You Want? and it reached number one. Barry wrote his first film score, Wild for Kicks 1960, and soon after he was hired for Dr. No 1962. He co-created the James Bond Theme and scored ten more Bond films, including Goldfinger 1964, You Only Live Twice 1967, and The Living Daylights 1987. Barry won his first Oscar for Born Free 1966 and later for The Lion in Winter 1968, Out of Africa 1985, and Dances with Wolves 1990. He also scored Midnight Cowboy 1969, Somewhere in Time 1980, and Body Heat 1981.
John Barry married four times. First to Barbara Pickard 1959–1963, with whom he had daughter Suzanne. Then to actress Jane Birkin 1965–1968, mother of Kate Barry. Next to Jane Sidey 1969–1978. Finally to Laurie Barry 1978–2011, met through Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, with whom he had son Jonpatrick. In 1975, Barry moved to California to avoid tax issues, later settling in Oyster Bay, New York. A ruptured esophagus in 1988 left him unable to work for two years. He died of a heart attack at home on January 30, 2011.
John Barry’s James Bond scores set the template for action-adventure film music. His romantic style influenced composers like Shiro Sagisu. The song We Have All the Time in the World, sung by Louis Armstrong, became a wedding favorite. He was appointed OBE in 1999 and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2005, the first composer to do so. A viewing theater at Pinewood Studios bears his name. He is remembered as the sound of James Bond.
The complete filmography of John Barry — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by John Barry — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from John Barry — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Geoff Leonard Knows More About Me Than I Know Myself.
Little-known facts about John Barry — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
John Barry scored 11 of the James Bond films and his influence was heard in the first, Dr. No 1962, via his work on the James Bond Theme.
We Have All the Time in the World, sung by Louis Armstrong from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 1969, was found in 2005 to be the third most popular choice for UK just-married couples’ first dance.
Federico Fellini once confessed that Barry’s Goldfinger 1964 was his favorite movie score.
Japanese composer Shiro Sagisu acknowledged Barry’s work as an influence; one of his compositions for Neon Genesis Evangelion 1995 is a blatant homage to a theme called 007 which appears in several James Bond scores by Barry.
To date 2009, Barry holds the record for the most James Bond scores at 11, and also the most consecutive 007 scores at 6.
Barry counted Goldfinger 1964 as his personal favorite among all his 007 scores.
The BBC frequently uses his film themes and cues during documentaries or factual programmes such as Top Gear and Countryfile.
He was awarded the O.B.E. Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1999 Queen’s Birthday Honors List for services to music.
His children include Suzanne with Barbara Pickard, Sian with Ulla Larsson, Kate Barry with Jane Birkin, and JonPatrick with Laurie Barry.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998.
When Barry won Oscars for Best Music Original Score and Best Music Original Song from Born Free 1966, it was his first Oscar victory and the first time an Englishman won both categories. He heard the news from friend Michael Crawford.
He resided in Oyster Bay, New York.
During the inception of Goldfinger, Barry approached Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse about writing lyrics; they sang Moon River because the first three notes of both songs are identical.
He declined an offer to score GoldenEye 1995, so Eric Serra filled in.
He suffered a rupture of the esophagus in 1988 following a toxic reaction to a health tonic, leaving him unable to work for two years and vulnerable to pneumonia.
In 1975 Barry moved to California; a British judge accused him of emigrating to avoid paying 134,000 pounds due the Inland Revenue. The matter was resolved in the early 1980s and he lived in the US mainly in Oyster Bay, New York.
He met his fourth wife, Laurie Barry, through 007 producer Barbara Broccoli.
On June 25, 2002, he was confirmed as an Honorary Freeman of the City of York at a ceremony where he once played trumpet in a jazz band in the 1950s.
At the James Bond Celebrity Golf Classic on June 28, 2002, Barry received the GoldenEye award for his contribution to Bond music, courtesy of the Ian Fleming Foundation.
He was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship on February 12, 2005, becoming the first composer to receive the honor.
He made many recordings with Johnny De Little, including the film themes The Knack and Days of Wine & Roses.
He was unable to score Licence to Kill 1989 due to throat surgery, so Michael Kamen filled in.
His memorable string introduction to You Only Live Twice was sampled by Robbie Williams as the main hook for his first UK number one single Millennium in 1998.
In September 2004 he was in London for the opening of his stage musical version of Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock with lyrics by Don Black.
He regarded his score for The Man with the Golden Gun 1974 as his least favorite James Bond score, having only three weeks to complete it.
He was unavailable to score Live and Let Die 1973, so George Martin stepped in.
He recorded a score for Howard the Duck 1986 that went unused; Sylvester Levay was hired to rescore much of the film.
Early in his career Barry owned an E-Type Jaguar car.
He was unable to score The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 and For Your Eyes Only 1981 due to tax reasons; Marvin Hamlisch and Bill Conti filled in.
He wrote a score for The Golden Child 1986 but it was rejected in favor of Michel Colombier’s synthesizer music; two Barry compositions remain in the soundtrack.
He was invited to do the music for Never Say Never Again 1983 but politely declined out of respect for Albert R. Broccoli.
He went to court to try to disown the score for Howard the Duck.
His father, apart from running 8 cinemas, staged concerts with artists such as Nat King Cole and Gracie Fields.
Presented with the Music Industry Trusts’ Award in 1999 for his outstanding contribution to the British music industry.
In September 2006 he was in London for a concert of his music at the Royal Albert Hall.
He did his military service in Egypt and Cyprus with the Military Band of the Second Infantry Division of the Green Howards.
He had little interest in school as he knew he wanted to be a film composer; he loved Erich Korngold’s score for The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Had a house set in 4 acres on an island 40 miles north of New York.
His mother was a classical pianist.
Among directors he liked were Sydney Pollack, Richard Attenborough, Francis Coppola, and John Schlesinger.
He married Laurie, 25 years younger than himself.
Though We Have All the Time in the World was a hit, he preferred writing music embedded in drama rather than standalone songs.
He wrote stage musicals including Passion Flower Hotel, Billy, and Lolita My Love.
He scored 3 Academy Award Best Picture winners: Midnight Cowboy 1969, Out of Africa 1985, and Dances with Wolves 1990.
His father was John Xavier Prendergast, a York impresario, and his brother Patrick was managing director of the Clifton Bridge C Club in York.
The first film to make an impact on him as regards its score was A Song to Remember starring Merle Oberon and Cornel Wilde.
While he absorbed jazz and big bands, classical music was his first love; he studied composition with Francis Jackson and did a two-year correspondence course with Bill Russo.
Hit and Miss was a top 10 hit and became the theme tune for the BBC TV show Juke Box Jury.
He has a viewing theater at Pinewood Studios named after him.
He had a sister, June Lloyd Jones.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about John Barry.
Celebrities similar to John Barry — same craft, ranked by reach.
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