Roy Budd

Roy Budd

Composer. Born 14 March 1947 in Mitcham. Died 7 August 1993.

ComposerEnglish
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Title on Fi1m
Born
14 March 1947, Mitcham
Died
7 August 1993

Biography

Roy Budd (1947–1993) was an English jazz pianist and film composer. A self-taught child prodigy with perfect pitch, he began playing piano by ear as a toddler and made his public debut at the London Coliseum at the age of six. He formed a jazz trio in his teens and turned professional at sixteen.

Budd scored more than fifty films, beginning with Soldier Blue (1970). He is best known for his work on Get Carter (1971), for which he composed and performed the minimalist main theme using only three musicians on a limited budget, as well as The Wild Geese (1978), The Sea Wolves (1980) and several other thrillers and adventure films. He also composed for television and stage, and completed a symphonic score for the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera shortly before his death.

Films and series

Beyond what we have reviewed, Roy Budd is known for The Wild Geese (1978), Soldier Blue (1970), Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977), The Sea Wolves (1980), The Stone Killer (1973), The Black Windmill (1974), Who Dares Wins (1982) and Fear Is the Key (1972).