Renowned lyricist and co-creator of the iconic movie “Titanic” theme song “My Heart Will Go On,” Will Jennings, has recently passed away at the age of 80 in his home in Texas, United States. His long-time publisher confirmed the news of his death, but the cause of death has not been disclosed.
Throughout his career, Will Jennings not only wrote songs for legendary music artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey but also composed theme songs for several movies. The theme song “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic” is one of the most widely recognized among them.
“My Heart Will Go On” was sung by Celine Dion, composed by James Horner, and penned by Will Jennings. The song topped music charts in 18 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Denmark, and Belgium. In 1998, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 70th Oscars and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 55th Golden Globe Awards. In 1999, it also scooped three Grammy Awards at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
It is worth mentioning that James Horner, who worked on the music for the sci-fi film “Aliens” directed by James Cameron, ended up composing the music for “Titanic” as well. Initially, Cameron did not allow any songs with vocals in “Titanic,” so Horner and Jennings created “My Heart Will Go On” on their own and later convinced Celine Dion to record it. Eventually, Cameron agreed to use the song in the closing credits of the film.
According to Variety magazine, Will Jennings was one of the most prominent lyricists in the contemporary music industry. Apart from the success of “My Heart Will Go On,” he won two Oscars for the theme song “Up Where We Belong” from the film “An Officer and a Gentleman” starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger. He also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for the song “Tears in Heaven” from the movie “Rush,” performed by Eric Clapton, as well as Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Reports indicate that Will Jennings, who composed numerous songs throughout his lifetime, was a highly renowned lyricist in the contemporary music industry. It is further revealed in the article that Jennings’ long-time publisher has confirmed his passing. Although Jennings had been ill for some time at the age of 80, the cause of death has not been disclosed at this time.