John Barry 1933 - 2011
York Barbican packed for John Barry tribute concert
8:53am Monday 31st October 2011
A PACKED York Barbican last night celebrated the life and work of one of the city’s most famous sons, John Barry.
Film memories at John Barry tribute concert
9:23am Saturday 29th October 2011
THE sell-out audience at tomorrow night’s John Barry tribute concert will see the late composer’s sister, June, re-visiting their two childhood homes in York.
John Barry tribute programmes a lure for collectors
7:57am Thursday 27th October 2011
THE programme for Sunday’s John Barry tribute concert at York Barbican looks set to become a collector’s item for fans of the Oscar-winning composer.
John Barry concert is a sell-out
7:38am Wednesday 19th October 2011
A CONCERT to celebrate the life and music of the late York-born composer John Barry is a sell-out – and now looks set to raise about £10,000 for the Lord Mayor’s charities.
John Barry concert close to selling out
7:51am Monday 26th September 2011
ORGANISERS of a concert at York Barbican to celebrate the life and music of the late York-born composer John Barry are hoping it will be a sell-out.
Posthumous award for John Barry
9:52am Wednesday 27th April 2011
YORK-BORN composer John Barry, who died in January, is to be honoured with a posthumous award at next month’s Classic Brit Awards for his outstanding contribution to music.
Barbican concert to honour John Barry
11:14am Tuesday 19th April 2011
PLANS are being drawn up for a York concert to celebrate the life and music of John Barry.
Concert tribute to John Barry
7:52am Tuesday 12th April 2011
A YORK councillor has called for a memorial concert in the city to remember the life of the great composer John Barry.
Memorial call for York’s honour legendary composer John Barry
10:04am Wednesday 2nd February 2011
York-born composer John Barry should have a permanent memorial in the city, according to a friend of the Oscar-winning musician.
York’s master of melodies remembered
7:56am Tuesday 1st February 2011
Composer John Barry, who has died aged 77, was one of York’s most successful sons. STEPHEN LEWIS looks back at his life.
Family and friends celebrate life and music of ‘genius’
7:51am Tuesday 1st February 2011
TRIBUTES to John Barry poured in from around the world, as musicians, friends and peers remembered a “life to be celebrated”.
Tributes pour in to John Barry
12:39pm Monday 31st January 2011
TRIBUTES have been pouring in to York-born John Barry, following his death at the age of 77.
John Barry fact file
Name: John Barry Prendergast
Born: November 3, 1933, in York
Died: January 30, 2011, in New York
Occupation: Composer of 120 film scores and incidental music
School: St Peter’s York; once told his biographers he “loathed life” there
Army days: Served in band of 2nd Battalion, The Green Howards, as National Serviceman in early 1950s
First appearance on stage: Playing third trumpet with The Modernaires, Rialto, 1953
York band: The John Barry Seven, playing regularly at Rialto
James Bond scores: 11 of first 14 Bond films and 12 in all, including From Russia With Love; Goldfinger; You Only Live Twice; Diamonds Are Forever. Appeared on screen in final scene of The Living Daylights as orchestra leader.
David Arnold on his fellow Bond soundtrack composer: “I think James Bond would have been far less cool without John Barry holding his hand.”
First film: Beat Girl, 1959
Further film scores: Zulu; Born Free (Oscar); his personal favourite, The Lion In Winter (Oscar); Midnight Cowboy, 1976 version of King Kong; Out Of Africa, pictured, (Oscar); Dances With Wolves (Oscar); Chaplin; Enigma
Best-known television theme tune: The Persuaders
West End musicals: Billy!, based on Billy Liar; Lolita; Brighton Rock
21st century albums: Orchestral work Eternal Echoes, 2001; overseeing Ten Tenors’ Here’s To The Heroes, 2007
Oscars: Five
Grammy awards: Four
Honours: OBE, 1999; honorary doctorate, University of York, July 2001; Honorary Freeman of York, June 2002; Academy Fellowship at BAFTA awards for lifetime contribution to cinema, 2005
York “tributes”: Pizza Express’s 2008 design for its restaurant in St Sampson’s Square incorporated covers of his albums on the walls. Pavilion Hotel, Fulford Road, has a John Barry room
Wives: Four, including brief union with British actress/singer Jane Birkin
Children: Four
Did you know? Kept pigs at his home in Oyster Bay, Long Island, just as Prendergast family did in Fulford
Did you know too? The last song Louis Armstong committed to vinyl was John Barry’s We Have All The Time In The World, from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 1969.
- Charles Hutchinson
From the archives...
Press call helped John Barry to stardom
Two books profiling Bond composer John Barry were published in 1999. STACEY BREWER recalled at the time how the Evening Press helped him on the road to stardom.
Interview with John Barry
In 2001, John Barry made a rare visit to his home city. Nick Hallissey tried to contain himself while he lined up questions to ask one of his heroes.
Plaque commemorates York's music man
The boyhood home of York's Oscar-winning composer John Barry was recognised by the British Film Institute in 1998.
Cry freedom for York's genius
In 2000, citizens of York campaigned for John Barry to receive the Freedom of the City.