Monty Norman, the person who designed the long-lasting James Bond theme, handed away on the age of 94. He is survived by his second spouse, Rina Caesari, and a daughter, reviews ‘Variety’.
An announcement posted on his official web site, accessed by ‘Variety’, stated, “It is with sadness we share the news that Monty Norman died on 11th July 2022 after a short illness.”
Norman most famously composed the rating for ‘Dr. No’, the 1962 James Bond movie starring Sean Connery. His theme for James Bond, as organized by fellow Englishman John Barry, would go on to develop into the theme for your complete franchise.
As Norman stated on his website: “We recognised we needed a fresh, contemporary sound for the main theme, and in the up-and-coming young John Barry we found a wonderful arranger, so the whole thing worked very well.”
As per ‘Variety’, nonetheless, controversy erupted a long time later when Barry claimed authorship of the theme, leading to Norman suing the Times of London for libel over a 1997 story (‘Theme Tune Wrangle Has 007 Shaken and Stirred’) disputing Norman’s rivalry that he was the true composer.
A jury in London’s High Court dominated in Norman’s favour in 2001, awarding him 30,000 kilos plus courtroom prices. Norman later stated he felt vindicated by the choice.
Norman was a former large band singer who turned songwriter within the late Nineteen Fifties. He loved a West End hit in 1958 with ‘Irma La Douce’, tailored from an earlier profitable French musical. Producer Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, an investor in Norman’s short-lived 1961 musical ‘Belle’, known as him to accompany the crew headed to Jamaica in January 1962 to shoot ‘Dr. No’.
