Biography
Ken Thorne was a British film and television composer and conductor. Born in East Dereham, Norfolk, he began his career as a big band pianist in the 1940s before studying composition. He received an Academy Award for music direction on A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) and worked frequently with director Richard Lester on films including Help! (1965) and Head (1968).
Thorne adapted and conducted John Williams’s themes for Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983). His other film credits include Juggernaut (1974), Hannie Caulder (1971) and The Evil That Men Do (1984). From the 1980s he composed extensively for television, including scores for Kevin Connor projects and the miniseries Return to Lonesome Dove (1993). He died in West Hills, California, in 2014.
