The music world is mourning the loss of legendary film composer Ennio Morricone, who passed away earlier today at the age of 91. Morricone is best known for scoring the iconic Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns A Fistful of Dollars, Once Upon a Time in the West, My Name is Nobody and his most popular film The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
Pioneering thrash metal outfit Metallica posted two statements on their Instagram regarding the death of Morricone, one by the band and a larger message written by frontman James Hetfield. The group have used the composer’s iconic song “The Ecstasy of Gold” as the introduction for their live sets in 1983, which Hetfield has called part of the band’s “inspiration,” before adding that he will always consider the composer “as part of the Metallica family.”
Massive Attack said goodbye to Ennio and called him a genius composer in Italian, the artist’s native tongue. The outfit also have a close connection to “The Ecstasy of Gold,” as it appeared on their 1994 BBC Radio One Essential Mix. The band Health simply put a time frame of years when Morricone was alive, alongside a picture of the composer
Joy Division and New Order founders Peter Hook and Bernard Summer both spoke on Morricone’s passing, with Hook crediting the composer for inspiring the legendary “Blue Monday” bassline from New Order, while Summer said that Morricone’s album was one of the first records he purchased.
Chance the Rapper and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon have both shared Morricone’s “The Crisis” from The Legend of 1900 starring Tim Roth. Rapper El-P of Run The Jewels also gave his condolences, giving the legendary composer a simple “thank you.”
Pioneering electronic artist Jean-Michel Jarre praised Morricone’s melodies, while guitarist and Bruce Springsteen collaborator Stevie Van Zandt said Morricone’s passing was “another tragic loss to our culture.”
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