William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...

'' (and four of its sequels), ''

The Karate Kid ''The Karate Kid'' is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue an ...

'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'' (and its sequel ''

The Colbys ''The Colbys'' (originally titled ''Dynasty II: The Colbys'') is an American prime time television soap opera that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert ...

''), '' The Big Chill'' and '' The Right Stuff'', which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Score. He also received nominations in the Best Original Song category for "

Gonna Fly Now "Gonna Fly Now", also known as "Theme from ''Rocky''", is the theme song from the movie ''Rocky'', composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta West and Nelson Pigford. Released in 1976 with ''Rocky ...

" from ''Rocky'' and for the title song of '' For Your Eyes Only''. He was the musical director at the Academy Awards a record nineteen times.

Biography

Early life

Conti, an Italian American, was born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

, the son of Lucetta and William Conti. He graduated from North Miami High School in 1959. He is a past winner of the Silver Knight Award presented by the Miami Herald. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University School of Music, and also studied and gained honors at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

of Music, including a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

''Rocky'' series

As early as 1971, Bill was orchestrating pop recordings by Italian artists, such as the album ''Sì... incoerenza'' ("Yes to Incoherence") by Italian singer

Patty Pravo Patty Pravo (born Nicoletta Strambelli on 9 April 1948) is an Italian singer. She debuted in 1966 and remained most successful commercially for the rest of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Having suffered a decline in popularity in the followin ...

. He was also a

ghostwriter A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often ...

of the scores for Spaghetti Westerns. Conti's big break into celebrity came in 1976, when

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

hired him to compose the music for a small film called ''

''. The film became a phenomenon and won three Oscars at the

49th Academy Awards The 49th Academy Awards were presented Monday, March 28, 1977, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The ceremonies were presided over by Richard Pryor, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda, and Warren Beatty. ''Network'' and '' Al ...

, including

Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

. The same ceremony was also the first time Conti served as musical director for the telecast, a role he reprised 19 times, more than any other person. His training montage tune, "

", topped the Billboard singles chart in 1977, and earned him an Academy Award nomination for

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

. Conti also composed music for the sequels '' Rocky II'' (1979), ''

Rocky III ''Rocky III'' is a 1982 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to '' Rocky II'' (1979) and is the third installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. Along with Stallone reprising the title r ...

'' (1982), ''

Rocky V ''Rocky V'' is a 1990 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen (the first time since the first film of the franchise), written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky IV'' (1985) and is the fifth install ...

'' (1990) and '' Rocky Balboa'' (2006).

Other film and television credits

Conti also worked for some other films and, eventually, for television series. In 1981, he wrote the music for the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film '' For Your Eyes Only'', when John Barry was unwilling to return to the United Kingdom for tax reasons, and provided the score for playwright Jason Miller's film version of his Pulitzer Prize-winning play ''

That Championship Season ''That Championship Season'' is a 1972 play by Jason Miller. It was the recipient of the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1973 Tony Award for Best Play. Plot synopsis The setting is 1972 at the Coach's home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. O ...

'' the following year. In 1983, Conti composed the score for HBO's first film, ''The Terry Fox Story''. He then did '' Bad Boys'', '' Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story'', '' The Big Chill'' and '' Mass Appeal''. In 1984, he won an Academy Award for composing the score to 1983's '' The Right Stuff'', after which he wrote the music for the TV series ''

North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...

'' in 1985. He also scored the '' Masters of the Universe'' live action film. Another score was the 1987 film '' Happy New Year''. In 1991, Conti composed for '' Necessary Roughness'', a college football film. In 1993, he wrote the music for '' The Adventures of Huck Finn'' starring

Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy (2001–2003) and '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012). Woo ...

and directed by

Stephen Sommers Stephen Sommers (born March 20, 1962) is an American filmmaker, best known for big-budget action movies, such as ''The Mummy'' (1999), its sequel, ''The Mummy Returns'' (2001), '' Van Helsing'' (2004), and '' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' (2009) ...

. In 1999, he composed the score for '' The Thomas Crown Affair'' remake, starring Pierce Brosnan and

Rene Russo Rene Marie Russo (born February 17, 1954) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model in the 1970s, appearing on magazine covers such as ''Vogue'' and ''Cosmopolitan''. She made her film debut in the 1989 comedy '' ...

. That year, he scored ''

Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * Inferno (1973 fi ...

'', starring

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the ag ...

. Conti composed the themes to television's ''

'', ''

'', '' Falcon Crest'' and ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very di ...

.'' He wrote the theme song to the original version of '' American Gladiators'', worked with

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

on its 1980s film jingle, composed one of the early themes of ''

Inside Edition ''Inside Edition'' is an American news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed in first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine program that is no ...

'', and wrote the '' Primetime Live'' theme for

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

. He composed the score to the studio-altered American version of

Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed or produced the films ''Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Besson is associated with the ' ...

's ''

The Big Blue ''The Big Blue'' (released in some countries under the French title ''Le Grand Bleu'') is a 1988 film in the French ''Cinéma du look'' visual style, made by French director Luc Besson. It is a heavily fictionalized and dramatized story of th ...

''. Two of Conti's previously composed works were reused for the show ''

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous ''Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'' is an American television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes, socialites and magnates. It was hosted by Rob ...

''. These were the love theme "Come with Me Now", from the soundtrack for ''

Five Days from Home ''Five Days from Home'' is a 1978 American drama film directed, produced and starring George Peppard, with Sherry Boucher, Savannah Smith, Neville Brand, Victor Campos, and Robert Donner. Plot T.M. Pryor, a former cop, escapes from a prison in ...

'' (used for the show's main theme), and "Runaway", from '' For Your Eyes Only'' (used for in-show content).

Awards and nominations

Conti has been nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one in the Best Original Score category for '' The Right Stuff''. He also received nominations in the

category for "

" from ''

'' and for the title song of '' For Your Eyes Only''. He had three Golden Globe nominations; two for Best Original Score for ''

'' and ''

An Unmarried Woman ''An Unmarried Woman'' is a 1978 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky and starring Jill Clayburgh, Alan Bates and Michael Murphy. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Original ...

'', and one for

for the title song of '' For Your Eyes Only''. Conti also received thirteen Emmy nominations, all but one for his role as musical director at the

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

(the exception, his first nomination, was for his music for the 1985 series ''

''). He won five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Musical Direction for the 64th, 70th and 75th Academy Award ceremonies. On April 22, 2008, at the LSU Union Theatre at Louisiana State University, Conti was inducted into the

Louisiana Music Hall of Fame The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame (LMHOF) is a non-profit hall of fame based in Baton Rouge, the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana, that seeks to honor and preserve the state's music culture and heritage and to promote education about the state ...

Selected discography

*''

Blume in Love ''Blume in Love'' is a 1973 American romantic comedy drama film written, produced and directed by Paul Mazursky. It stars George Segal in the titular role, alongside Susan Anspach and Kris Kristofferson. Others in the cast include Mazursky, Mars ...

'' (1973) *''

Harry and Tonto ''Harry and Tonto'' is a 1974 road movie written by Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfeld and directed by Mazursky. It features Art Carney as Harry in an Oscar-winning performance. Tonto is his pet cat. Plot Harry Coombes (Art Carney) is an elderly ...

'' (1974) *''

Next Stop, Greenwich Village ''Next Stop, Greenwich Village'' is a 1976 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky, featuring Lenny Baker, Shelley Winters, Ellen Greene, Lois Smith, and Christopher Walken. Plot The film takes place in 1953. Larry Lipin ...

'' (1976) *''

Smash-Up on Interstate 5 ''Smash-Up on Interstate 5'' is a 1976 American made-for-television disaster film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey. Loosely based on the novel ''Expressway'' written by Trevor Dudley-Smith under the pseudonym Howard North, the film chronicles the ...

'' (1976) *'' F.I.S.T'' (1978) *''

Paradise Alley ''Paradise Alley'' is a 1978 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone (in his feature directorial debut). The film tells the story of three Italian American brothers in Hell's Kitchen in the 1940s who beco ...

'' (1978) *'' The Big Fix'' (1978) *'' Slow Dancing in the Big City'' (1978) *''

'' (1978) *''

'' (1978) *'' The Pirate'' (1978) *'' Dreamer'' (1979) *'' Rocky II'' (1979) *''

Goldengirl ''Goldengirl'' is a 1979 American drama sci-fi sports film directed by Joseph Sargent, based on the 1977 science fiction novel of the same title by Peter Lear, a pseudonym of Peter Lovesey. The screenplay was by John Kohn, with music by Bill Con ...

'' (1979) *''

The Seduction of Joe Tynan ''The Seduction of Joe Tynan'' is a 1979 American political drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg, and produced by Martin Bregman. The screenplay was written by Alan Alda, who also played the title role. The film stars Alda, Barbara Harris, ...

'' (1979) *'' A Man, a Woman and a Bank'' (1979) *'' Gloria'' (1980) *'' Private Benjamin'' (1980) *'' The Formula'' (1980) *''

Escape to Victory ''Escape to Victory'' (stylized as ''Victory'') is a 1981 American-British-Italian sports war film directed by John Huston and starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow and Pelé. The film is about Allied prisoners of wa ...

'' (1981) *''

Carbon Copy Before the development of photographic copiers, a carbon copy was the under-copy of a typed or written document placed over carbon paper and the under-copy sheet itself (not to be confused with the carbon print family of photographic reproduc ...

'' (1981) *'' For Your Eyes Only'' (1981) *'' Neighbors'' (1981) *''

'' (1982) *''

I, the Jury ''I, the Jury'' is the 1947 debut novel of American crime fiction writer Mickey Spillane, the first work to feature private investigator Mike Hammer. Plot summary The novel opens as private detective Mike Hammer is called to the apartment of i ...

'' (1982) *'' Split Image'' (1982) *''Theme from

'' (1982): The single spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 52 in December 1982. *''

'' (1982) *''

'' (1982) *'' Emerald Point N.A.S.'' (1983) *'' Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story'' (1983) *'' Bad Boys'' (1983) *'' The Big Chill'' (1983) (includes other artists) *'' The Right Stuff'' (1983) *''

The Terry Fox Story ''The Terry Fox Story'' is a 1983 Canadian-American biographical film of Canadian amputee and runner Terry Fox. It was written by Howard Hume, John Kastner and Rose Kastner, and directed by Ralph L. Thomas. The film stars Eric Fryer as Fox, C ...

'' (1983) *'' Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets'' (1984) *''

'' (1984) *'' The Karate Kid I'', '' II'', '' III'', ''

The Next Karate Kid ''The Next Karate Kid'' is a 1994 American martial arts drama film, and the fourth installment in ''The Karate Kid'' franchise, following ''The Karate Kid Part III'' (1989). It stars Hilary Swank as Julie Pierce (in her first theatrical appeara ...

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Scores'' (released 2006) *''Theme from Dynasty II: The Colbys'' (1985) *''

'' (1985) *'' Gotcha!'' (1985) *'' F/X'' (1986) *'' The Karate Kid, Part II'' (1986) (released 2011) *''

Nomads A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the po ...

'' (1986) *'' Masters of the Universe'' (1987) *''

A Prayer for the Dying ''A Prayer for the Dying'' is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Bob Hoskins, and Alan Bates. The film is based on the 1973 Jack ...

'' (1987) *'' Broadcast News'' (1987) *'' A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon'' (1988) *'' Cohen & Tate'' (1988) *'' Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman'' (1989) *'' Lock Up'' (1989) *''

'' (1990) *'' Necessary Roughness'' (1991) *'' Year of the Gun'' (1991) *'' Falcon Crest'' (TeeVee Tunes Soundtrack) (1992) *''

'' (TeeVee Tunes Soundtrack) (1992) *''

Blood In Blood Out ''Blood In Blood Out'' (also known as ''Bound by Honor'' and ''Blood In Blood Out: Bound By Honor'') is a 1993 American epic crime drama film directed by Taylor Hackford that has become a cult-classic film with a cult following among the Mexi ...

'' (1993) *'' The Adventures of Huck Finn'' (1993) *'' Rookie of the Year'' (1993) (released 2006) *''

8 Seconds ''8 Seconds'' is a 1994 American contemporary Western biographical drama film directed by John G. Avildsen. Its title refers to the length of time a bull rider is required to stay on for a ride to be scored. It stars Luke Perry as American rodeo le ...

'' (1994) *'' Bushwhacked'' (1995) (released 2006) *''

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

'' (1995) *''

Spy Hard ''Spy Hard'' is a 1996 American spy parody film starring Leslie Nielsen (who also executive produced) and Nicollette Sheridan, parodying James Bond and other action films. The introduction to the film is sung by comedy artist "Weird Al" Yanko ...

'' (1996) *''

The Real Macaw ''The Real Macaw'' is an album by Graham Parker, released in 1983. Critical reception ''Rolling Stone'' called ''The Real Macaw'' "a propulsive, brilliantly sung LP." ''Trouser Press'' called the album "a disc that is watered down and should h ...

'' (1998) *''

Wrongfully Accused ''Wrongfully Accused'' is a 1998 satirical comedy film written, produced and directed by Pat Proft and starring Leslie Nielsen as a man who has been framed for murder and desperately attempts to expose the true culprits. The film is a parody of t ...

'' (1998) *''

'' (1999) *'' The Thomas Crown Affair'' (1999) (includes other artists) *''

Avenging Angelo ''Avenging Angelo'' is a 2002 American direct-to-video action romantic comedy crime film directed by Martyn Burke and starring Sylvester Stallone, Madeleine Stowe, and Anthony Quinn. The film received mostly negative reviews. Plot Years ago, ...

'' (2002) *''

Boys on the Run is a Japanese manga series by Kengo Hanazawa. It was adapted into a live action film in 2010 and a drama in 2012. Plot A 29-year-old lonesome salesman falls in love with an attractive woman from work but he has a rival that ends up being wi ...

'' (2003) *'' Rocky Balboa'' (2006) *'' Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky'' (2006) (includes other artists)

References

External links

*
Interview
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conti, Bill 1942 births Living people 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) American male conductors (music) American disco musicians American film score composers American male film score composers American people of Italian descent American television composers Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners Louisiana State University School of Music alumni Male television composers Musicians from Providence, Rhode Island Rocky (film series) music Spaghetti Western composers Varèse Sarabande Records artists Primetime Emmy Award winners