Nick Glennie-Smith, Composer on ‘The Rock, ‘The Man in the Iron Mask’ and ‘Secretariat, Dies at 74

Nick Glennie-Smith, the British composer, conductor and keyboardist known for his collaborations with Hans Zimmer and for his work on films including The Rock , The Man in the Iron Mask and Secretariat , has passed away. He was 74. Glennie-Smith passed away peacefully Aug.

16 surrounded No cause of death was revealed. As an orchestral conductor, Glennie-Smith teamed with two-time Oscar-winning composer Zimmer on such notable films as The Lion King (1994), Crimson Tide (1995), The Simpsons Movie (2007), Transformers (2007), X-Men: First Class (2011) and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) as a member of his Remote Control Productions team.

Key Analysis and Detailed Timeline

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Nicholas Hugh Glennie-Smith was born in London on Oct. 3, 1951. He began his professional career as a keyboard player and would perform or/and or record with the likes of Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey, Leo Sayer, Cliff Richard, Roger Waters, Phil Collins, Tina Turner and Elvis Costello.

He came to Hollywood in the late 1980s and played keyboards and/or provided music for films including K2 (1991) and Cool Runnings (1993). Glennie-Smith also worked in various capacities on Bay’s Bad Boys (1995), Beyond Rangoon (1995), Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1997), Con Air (1997), The Peacemaker (1997), King Arthur (2004), The Da Vinci Code (2006), A Little Bit of Heaven (2011), Wreck-It-Ralph (2012), Man of Steel (2013), Pacific Rim (2013), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), The Little Prince (2015), Deadpool (2016), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) and Mufasa: The Lion King (2024).

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His older son, Seth Glennie-Smith, is a composer and music editor with credits including Project Hail Mary , It Ends With Us and the rebooted Magnum P.I. Survivors include his other son, Joss; daughters Haley and Katharine; daughter-in-law Caroline; son-in-law Nick; grandchildren Dylan, Milo and Charlotte; and siblings Steven and Ali.

Glennie-Smith also served as musical director for Zimmer’s live concerts and conducted the 60-piece orchestra at the 2012 Academy Awards that featured compositions from Zimmer and Pharrell Williams.

“We are deeply saddened “Nick was far more than an extraordinary musician and composer. Through his many years alongside Hans Zimmer, he was a trusted creative partner, band member and, above all, a longtime friend. “When people share so many years of music, creativity, stages, journeys and memories, that bond reaches far beyond the work.

The music remains, but so does the friendship behind every note. Our deepest condolences to Nick’s family, friends and everyone whose life was touched May his music, his spirit and all the memories created together live on. He will always be the leader of our band.

Rest in peace, Nick.”