Composer of the “James Bond” theme, Monty Norman, dies from illness

Monty Norman died at the age of 94. He was the man who wrote the James Bond theme, which has been around for a long time. “Variety” says that Rina Caesari, who was his second wife, and a daughter are the only ones who will remember him.

We are sad to tell you that Monty Norman died on July 11, 2022, after a short illness, according to a message that Variety was able to read on his official website.

Norman is best known for writing the music for the James Bond movie “Dr. No,” which came out in 1962 and starred Sean Connery. His theme for James Bond, which was played by fellow Englishman John Barry, would become the anthem for the whole series.

“We knew we needed a fresh, modern sound for the main theme,” Norman’s website says. “In the young, up-and-coming John Barry, we found a brilliant arranger, so the whole thing worked out very well.”

But, according to “Variety,” there was a fight over who wrote the theme when Barry said he did. So, Norman sued the Times of London for libel over an article from 1997 (called “Theme Tune Wrangle Has 007 Shaken and Stirred”) that said Norman wasn’t the real composer.

In 2001, a jury in London’s High Court ruled in Norman’s favour. He got 30,000 pounds plus court costs. Later, Norman said that the choice made him feel like he had done the right thing.

At the end of the 1950s, Norman, who used to sing in a big band, began to write songs. In 1958, he had a hit on the West End with “Irma La Douce,” which was based on a successful French musical. He got a call from producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, who had put money into Norman’s failed 1961 musical “Belle,” asking him to join the crew going to Jamaica to film “Dr. No.” in January 1962.

Also, Billie Eilish sings with Adele and Sam Smith on the James Bond theme song “No Time to Die.”