Monty Norman Mysterious Cause of Death: James Bond Theme Composer Dead at 94

Monty Norman, a British composer who notably gave birth to the hit theme for the James Bond films, died. He was 94.

A post on his official website confirmed the saddening news to fans, saying that Norman died on Monday. It also disclosed that the musician died after a short illness.

Meanwhile, the official James Bond's Twitter account also honored the composer by sharing a black and white photo of him alongside a heartfelt caption.

"We are saddened to learn of the passing of Monty Norman today. Monty created the iconic anthem to accompany the cinematic entrance of the world's greatest secret agent, 007, and we are eternally grateful for his contribution to the franchise," it said.

His colleagues and fans also delivered heartfelt messages to the late Norman and said they would always remember the music he worked on.

Very sad to hear about the passing of Monty Norman, the original James Bond composer at the age of 94.

I’m sure you’ll join us in raising a glass to the man and his contribution to music, stage and cinema 🍸https://t.co/GXJ9Iw4pNz pic.twitter.com/f7DKPqs2dz
— SpyHards - A Spy Movie Podcast (@SpyHards) July 11, 2022

I'd known Monty Norman since I was a kid. He was a lovely man, endlessly encouraging as I took my first steps into the world of music. He composed a slew of fabulous musicals, and arguably the greatest theme tune of all time, but wore it all lightly. https://t.co/OKYtAIcV2j
— Jay Rayner (@jayrayner1) July 11, 2022

Monty Norman's Journey in the Industry

Norman fell in love with music soon after getting his first guitar when he was 16. He began performing with big bands and working with comedian Benny Hill.

From there, he began writing songs for British musicians like Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard. ABC News also noted that he was part of stage musicals as a composer, giving life to "Poppy," "Songbook," "Expresso Bongo," and "Make Me an Offer."

He was soon hired by producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli to compose a theme for the first James Bond film in 1962. His composition eventually became the theme of all 25 James Bond movies.

But composer John Barry later received all the credits after the producers hired him to rearrange the theme. His "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice" were also used for almost a dozen bond films.

Norman, who still felt annoyed because people assumed Barry wrote the theme he created, asserted his authorship by suing the Sunday Times for libel. The 1997 article insisted that the music was composed by Barry. He later won and received fees for the damages.

"Well, I hope when the time comes people will remember that I've done quite a few things, but the fact that James Bond is so iconic in everybody's mind - you can't argue with that and nor would I want to," Norman once said.

Before his death, he received several honors for his highly-regarded compositions, including a special Ivor Novello Award for composing the James Bond Theme and Gold Badge of Merit, for Services to British Music.