Photo: Barry_in_concert.jpg: Geoff Leonard. (The original uploader was Geoffers007 at English Wikipedia.) derivative work: Impy4ever (talk) / CC BY-SA 1.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
John Barry was a musician, songwriter and film score composer, born on November 3, 1933 in York, United Kingdom. John Barry died on January 30, 2011 at the age of 77. Recorded honors include Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Academy Award for Best Original Score (1986, 1991), Academy Award for Best Original Song (1967) and 4 more. Notable works include Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Dances with Wolves.
My Take
Barry is one of those composers whose work I knew long before I knew his name. The man who built the James Bond sound and then scored the sweeping nostalgia of Dances with Wolves had a rare gift: he could conjure an entire mood in a few bars. Raised in York cinemas and self-taught on trumpet in the army, he turned a working-class start into a shelf of Academy Awards. What stays with me is his range, the way he made both spy-thriller menace and open-prairie longing feel inevitable. He died in 2011, but every time those themes return, his presence does too.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- John Barry
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョン・バリー
- Reading
- じょん・ばりー
- Born
- November 3, 1933 – January 30, 2011
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rooster
- Origin
- York, United Kingdom
- Occupation
- composer / musician / songwriter / film score composer / trumpeter
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- 1986 Academy Award for Best Original Score
- 1991 Academy Award for Best Original Score
- 1967 Academy Award for Best Original Song
- 1969 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition
- 1969 BAFTA Award for Best Original Music
- 1985 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
- 1985 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Goldfinger | — | |
| Notable work | Diamonds Are Forever | — | |
| Notable work | Dances with Wolves | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was John Barry born?
Born November 3, 1933.
When did John Barry die?
Died January 30, 2011, aged 77.
Where was John Barry from?
John Barry was from York, United Kingdom.
What did John Barry do?
John Barry worked as composer, musician, songwriter, film score composer, trumpeter.
What was John Barry known for?
Notable works include Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Dances with Wolves.
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