'Twin Peaks,' 'Blue Velvet' composer Angelo Badalamenti dies

Composer Angelo Badalamenti died Sunday. Photo courtesy of Pixnio
Composer Angelo Badalamenti died Sunday. Photo courtesy of Pixnio

Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Composer Angelo Badalamenti died Sunday of natural causes. He was 85.

Badalamenti's great-nephew broke the news on Instagram. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed it with a niece, and the Los Angeles Times with his manager and agent.

Badalamenti composed music for director David Lynch's films Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, The Straight Story and Mulholland Drive. He composed the iconic theme song for the TV series Twin Peaks, its film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the Showtime series Twin Peaks: The Return.

The relationship with Lynch began when Blue Velvet star Isabella Rossellini hired him to be her vocal coach. She played a singer in the film.

Additional film compositions include A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Naked in New York, Secretary and The Wicker Man.

Also on television, Badalamenti composed themes for Profiler and Inside the Actor's Studio. He also wrote the "torch theme" for the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Badalamenti also worked with singers including Nina SImone, Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Liza Minnelli, LL Cool J and more.

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Anita Pointer
Anita Pointer of the Grammy-winning Pointer Sisters stands with Andy Madadian (C) and La Toya Jackson (L) as Madadian is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. Pointer, who performed alongside her sisters June and Ruth, died at the age of 74 on December 31 following a battle with cancer. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

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