York, 1933–2011
John Barry
The sound of James Bond, and five Oscars. Broad, slow string melodies in Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves.
His father owned a chain of cinemas in the north of England, so he grew up inside them. In 1957 he formed The John Barry Seven. He arranged and performed the James Bond Theme for Dr. No, credited to Monty Norman, and went on to score eleven films in the series.
- Style
- Long, slow string melodies, romantic horns and, for Bond, big-band brass.
- Awards
- 5 Oscars: two for Born Free and one each for The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves.
Essential films
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Born Free (1966)
- The Lion in Winter (1968)
- Midnight Cowboy (1969)
- Somewhere in Time (1980)
- Out of Africa (1985)
- Dances with Wolves (1990)
Listen
- Out of Africa Main Title · Out of AfricaSpotifyYouTube
- The John Dunbar Theme · Dances with WolvesSpotifyYouTube
- Goldfinger · James BondSpotifyYouTube
Everything on Spotify Everything on YouTube Full biography on Wikipedia
Awards counted up to the 2026 Academy Awards. Facts reviewed in October 2026.