John Debney
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| John Debney | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | August 18, 1956  Los Angeles County, California, USA |
| Genre(s) | Film score |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, conductor |
| Years active | 1982 - present |
| Website | http://www.johndebney.com/ |
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John Debney (born in Burbank, California, 18 August 1956) is an award-winning prolific American film composer, who received an Oscar nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. He is also known for collaborating with such directors as Robert Rodríguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) and Tom Shadyac (Liar, Liar, Bruce Almighty and its sequel, Evan Almighty). He is considered one of the most sought after composers in Hollywood. His unique ability to create memorable work across a variety of genres, as well as his reputation for being remarkably collaborative, have made him the first choice of top level producers and directors. Debney combines his classical training and a strong knowledge of contemporary sounds to easily adapt to any assignment.
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[edit] Biography
The son of Disney Studios producer Louis Debney ("Zorro," "The Mickey Mouse Club"), he grew up in nearby Glendale, California, where he began guitar lessons at age six and played in rock bands in college. Debney earned his B.A. degree in Music Composition from the California Institute of Arts (1979). After college, Debney's professional entry into the business came from television composing legend Mike Post ("Magnum P.I.," "The Rockford Files," "Law and Order"). Debney furthered his hands-on training by working with Hanna-Barbera composer Hoyt Curtin. After this, Debney went on to score television projects as diverse as Star Trek: The Next Generation A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and seaQuest DSV for which he won an Emmy for Best Main Title. In the early 1990s, Debney began to score films for indie projects. In 1993, he secured his first studio feature, the Disney comedy Hocus Pocus starring Bette Midler.
Debney received ASCAP's prestigious Henry Mancini Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
Mr. Debney has 3 sons named Joshua, Jason, and John Jr.
[edit] Style
Debney has worked on films ranging from blockbuster comedies such as Elf, Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty, action adventures like The Scorpion King, Cutthroat Island (considered one of the most spectacular swashbuckling scores, despite the film's box office failure), and Spy Kids (1 & 2)" as well as more dramatic fare.
John Debney conducts his own work as classical composers have done. "A big part of the joy in what I do is that I consider it an honor to stand in front of live musicians and have the opportunity to hear my music played by these talented people."[citation needed]
[edit] The Passion of the Christ
Although Debney had built an industry reputation as a talented composer, it was in 2004 that the rest of the world discovered him. Blending symphonic orchestra, a wide range of world instruments and the beauty of the human voice, Debney composed the landmark score for The Passion of the Christ. Strong in his faith, Debney was enticed by the idea of working on a project that held deep, spiritual meaning for him. "The Passion of the Christ" became one of the top ten box-office grossing films of all time, and his emotional score for the film connected with viewers and listeners and debuted on Billboard's charts at #1 on the Soundtrack and Christian Album charts and #19 on the Billboard Top 200. The record was certified gold by the RIAA and won the Dove award for Best Instrumental Album. The score was nominated for an Oscar in 2005.
[edit] The Passion of the Christ Symphony
In July 2005, fresh off his success with "The Passion of the Christ," he premiered "The Passion of the Christ Symphony" in Rome, Italy with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Choir. The performance included special guest vocalist Lisbeth Scott and woodwind soloist Pedro Eustache, plus solo musicians from both the film and the classical worlds. The symphony was a success with the audience erupting into a 15-minute standing ovation catapulting Debney's success not just in Hollywood but worldwide.
For his most recent scores, Debney has enlisted world-renowned musicians, including violin virtuoso Joshua Bell on Dreamworks' score for Dreamer and trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval on the upcoming OutKast musical Idlewild. His upcoming projects include "Sin City (2) & (3)"starring female box-office powerhouses Jessica Alba and Rosario Dawson. He has also worked for Evan Almighty, starring Steve Carrel and Morgan Freeman and animated feature Ant Bully.
[edit] Filmography
2008
Sin City 3 (unconfirmed)
Sin City 2 (unconfirmed)
2007
Big Stan (themes)
2006
Everyone's Hero
2005
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (theme)
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (co-composer)
Sin City (co-composer)
2004
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Spider-Man 2 (Additional music)
The Passion of the Christ *(2005 Academy Award Nomination)
2003
2002
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (co-composer)
2001
2000
Michael Jordan to the Max
1999-past
End of Days (1999)
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999)
Dick (1999)
Inspector Gadget (1999)
Lost & Found (1999/I)
My Favorite Martian (1999)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
Paulie (1998)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Liar Liar (1997)
The Relic (1997)
Justice League of America (1997)
Doctor Who (1996) TV movie
The Cape (1996) TV Series (unknown episodes) *(2 Emmy Nominations and 1 Emmy win)
Cutthroat Island (1995)
Sudden Death (1995)
In Pursuit of Honor (1995) (TV) SeaQuest DSV TV Series *(1 Emmy win)
Houseguest (1995)
Little Giants (1994) White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994)
Gunmen (1994)
seaQuest DSV (1993)
Jetsons: The Movie (1990)
The Young Riders (1989) TV Series (unknown episodes) *(1 Emmy win)
[edit] Awards
Emmy Awards/Nominations:
1990: Nominated: Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music for: "The Young Riders" (1989)
1991: Won: Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for: "The Young Riders" (1989)
1994: Won: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music for: "SeaQuest DSV" (1993)
1997: Won: Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for: "The Cape" (1996)
Nominated: Outstanding Main Title Theme Music for: "The Cape" (1996)
Academy Awards/Nominations:
2005: Nominated: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score for: "The Passion of the Christ" (2004)
Annie Awards/Nominations:
2001: Nominated: Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music Score an Animated Feature Production for: The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
2007: Nominated : Best Music in an Animated Feature Production for: The Ant Bully (2006)
[edit] External links
- John Debney at the Internet Movie Database
- John Debney's Official Website
- John Debney Tribute at Filmtracks.com
- John Debney Bio at Scorereviews.com
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