Grammy winning composer Kamen dies

Michael Kamen

Michael Kamen, the Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated composer who fused hard-rock riffs with classical styling in albums for Pink Floyd and provided music for the Lethal Weapon and Die Hard movies," has died at age 55. Kamen collapsed in his London home Tuesday from an apparent heart attack, according to his Los Angeles-based publicist, Jeff Sanderson.

Kamen collaborated with a wide range of artists, from the London Philharmonic to Aerosmith, Metallica and jazz saxophonist David Sanborn. Although Kamen was classically trained and studied oboe at New York's Julliard School, the composer's distinctive long, curly hair and beard made him look more like a heavy-metal guitarist than a classical conductor.

He was known for combining those two sensibilities. Among his most famous collaborations was on the orchestral arrangements in Pink Floyd's 1979 album The Wall. He also worked with the band on the albums The Final Cut and The Division Bell. Kamen's most recent Grammy win came in 2001, when he shared the award for best rock instrumental performance with Metallica for conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in the metal-rock band's song The Call of Ktulu.

He also won a Grammy in 1996 for best instrumental arrangement with An American Symphony, which he derived from his work on the Richard Dreyfuss musical drama Mr. Holland's Opus. His first Grammy was in 1992 for best pop instrumental performance for the theme music to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.