Basil Poledouris ~ 1945-2006!

Dude... what the fuck...

Seriously... What? What?

I don't even know how to put the words together. Basil? Who is killing the great composers of film?

It's news to me that it was cancer. I guess Jerry Goldsmith's obvious inflictions lead me to expect that sudden, sad deaths by younger composers like Michael Kamen were the exception.

Man, I don't even know what to say to this. I need to have a fucking drink.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

From FilmMusicWorld.com

Composer Christopher Lennertz was a good friend of Basil's and wrote this today:

-------------------

I can't tell you all what a sad day this is. I lost a person today who was very
important to me. Basil Poledouris was an amazing mentor, an inspired teacher,
and above all, a good friend. Sadly, he lost his hard-fought battle with cancer
this afternoon and now can be free of pain and suffering, but he will be so very
missed by all of us... perhaps more than he even knew. He and his family were
extremely generous and kind to me. I learned so much from him, not only about
music, but about the business, life, and even sailing. His daughter, Zoe, even
sang on demos for me. Their selfless love and support has lasted years beyond my
work with him and never ceased to amaze me.

I truly wish with all my heart that everyone could have known him like I did...
but then I realize that we all can: Listen carefully to Conan and you'll know
how powerful and passionate he was. Listen to the beautiful love theme from
Farewell to the King and you'll know how deeply he loved his daughters, family,
and friends. Listen to Wind and you'll know how he felt on his boat, sailing to
Catalina. Listen to the subtle strains of It's my Party and you'll hear how he
celebrated and valued life. It absolutely breaks my heart to think that I will
never be able to see him again... never be able to ask his advice, or look to
him for guidance. But then I realize that he left us the greatest gift of all...
that we can still hear him: when I put in a CD, turn on my ipod, or put in a
favorite DVD. I can listen to his music and be in the presence of him once
again... be inspired by him again. And thank God for that. It doesn't make the
pain go away, or the loss any less, but after I clear the lump from my throat
and wipe my eyes, it does make me smile, if just a little.

I cannot thank him enough for the impact he had on my life, and I'm so positive
that the world is a better place with the music he left for all of us. Be at
peace now, my friend.

With love, sadness, and admiration,

Chris Lennertz

There's nowhere I can't reach.

"I'll forever cherish spending time with Basil just recently in Spain. Not only did I get to share some private moments with him, but I was one of the lucky few who got to witness a miracle take place. Straight from a hospital bed, Basil flew to Madrid, making the additional 3 hour car ride to the little sweltering town of Ubeda. For the next few days, Basil greeted fans and worked tiressly on rehearsing his score to Conan. The final night was an emotional one. It was though you had been resurrected from near death to come to knock us out with your wonderful score, revisiting the genesis of your career. The audience went crazy, and demanded an encore. It was hard to keep a dry eye, Basil. What a send off. I am very sad today, but I am also very happy you got to go out with glory. From a huge fan and personal admirer, I'll miss you a lot, Basil.

Love,

John Ottman"

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.