Michael Kamen Composer, conductor, producer, actor, arranger. Date of Birth: 15.04.1948 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Michael Kamen

Michael Kamen was a composer, conductor, producer, actor, and arranger. He was born in 1948 in New York City, the second of four sons of Saul Kamen and his wife, a school teacher. From a young age, Michael showed great musical talent and attended The High School of Music & Art before enrolling in the prestigious Juilliard School, specializing in the arts.

During his time in school, Kamen established many friendships, including Martin Fulterman, better known as Mark Snow, and Janis Ian. While still learning to play the oboe, Michael formed his first band, 'New York Rock & Roll Ensemble,' which included Martin Snow and another classmate, Dorian Rudnytsky. The group mainly performed classical rock, occasionally showcasing duets played by Martin and Michael on the oboe.

After spending several years in college, Michael found work as a composer for ballet productions. In 1976, he composed the music for the film 'The Next Man.' Shortly after, Kamen helped the legendary band 'Pink Floyd' record their most renowned album, 'The Wall.' During this time, he also composed the song 'Sing Lady Sing,' which became a hit in the UK after being performed by Buddy Miles.

In just a few years, Michael became one of the most popular arrangers for pop and rock music. In the UK, he was one of the few arrangers whose name consistently appeared in recordings by the most popular artists. Throughout his short career, Kamen worked with bands and performers such as David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, 'Pink Floyd,' Aerosmith, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, 'Eurythmics,' 'Def Leppard,' Herbie Hancock, 'The Cranberries,' Bryan Adams, and the metal legends 'Metallica.' He also collaborated with 'Queen,' recording the album 'Who Wants to Live Forever.'

In 1984, he worked with 'Eurythmics' and re-recorded the song 'Here Comes the Rain Again,' showcasing his skills as both an arranger and composer. In 1990, he attended Roger Waters' concert in Berlin and Eric Clapton's album presentation '24 Nights.' In 1991, Michael co-wrote a ballad with Bryan Adams for the movie 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,' which became a global hit that same year. Kamen also composed 11 ballets, a saxophone concerto, and a guitar concerto in collaboration with Japanese guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei.

Michael was also known for his film scores, with his most famous works including all the installments of the action film 'Die Hard,' 'Lethal Weapon,' 'The Three Musketeers,' and the adaptation of the famous children's book 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.' He also composed for the film 'X-Men,' based on Marvel comics. In the following years, he worked as an arranger and composer for numerous rock and metal bands. Michael even organized the joint concert 'Metallica' and 'San Francisco Symphony' in 1999.

Michael Kamen passed away on November 18, 2003, at the age of 55, due to a heart attack. He is survived by his wife Sandra Keenan-Kamen and their two daughters, Sasha and Zoe.