Vangelis Dead At 79. R.I.P.

Vangelis—the composer who scored Blade Runner, Chariots of Fire, and many other films—has died, Reuters reports, citing the Athens News Agency. A cause of death was not revealed. According to The Associated Press, the musician died at a French hospital. Vangelis was 79 years old.

Born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, Vangelis was largely a self-taught musician. He found success in Greek rock bands such as the Forminx and Aphrodite’s Child—the latter of which sold over 2 million copies before disbanding in 1972. One of his earliest film scores, written while he was still in Aphrodite’s Child, was for a French nature documentary called L’Apocalypse des animaux.

An innovator in electronic music, Vangelis is arguably best known for his work on Chariots of Fire and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. It was noted by many upon the release of the Harrison Ford–starring film that Vangelis’ score was as important a component as Ford’s character Rick Deckard in bringing the futuristic noir film to life. Years on, it’s considered by many to be a hallmark in the chronology of electronic music… read more >