James Newton Howard

Biography

Pianist, producer, and composer James Newton-Howard scored over 60 films beginning in the mid-'80s, including The Fugitive, Space Jam, The Prince of Tides, Pretty Woman, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Waterworld. Newton-Howard began taking classical piano lessons at the age of four, playing on a piano owned by his grandmother, who was the Pittsburgh Symphony's concertmaster and violinist during the 1930s and '40s. He went on to study at the USC School of Music and at the Music Academy of the West (in Santa Barbara, CA) with Reginald Stewart and Leon Fleischer. He also studied under orchestrator Marty Paich, who would later conduct some of Newton-Howard's scores. After graduating from college, Newton-Howard joined a short-lived rock band, then worked for a couple of years as a session musician with artists including Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson. In 1975, he joined the band of the most popular artist of that time, Elton John, toured with them during the mid-'70s and later re-joined for a tour in 1980 and again in 1986. Over the years, Newton-Howard has worked as a songwriter, producer, or arranger with the such artists as Cher, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rickie Lee Jones, Olivia Newton-John, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Toto, and more. James Newton-Howard has received Oscars for his film scores in Prince of Tides (1991), The Fugitive (1993), and My Best Friend's Wedding (1997); and an Emmy for his theme for the television show E.R.