James Horner (1953-2015)

I was nine years old when I first saw James Horner's name on the big screen, credited for the brilliant, majestic, and sweeping score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, his first major feature film project.

He also composed the soundtrack for the sequel, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, before going on to a storied 30-year-plus career as one of the legendary mainstays of Hollywood film music, joining the esteemed ranks of luminaries such as late maestro and fellow Star Trek composer Jerry Goldsmith and frequent George Lucas and Steven Spielberg collaborator John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park).

Horner received far more acclaim and accolades for his later film work, much of which has been written about elsewhere and can easily be researched.

But for me, his Star Trek motion picture scores will always hold a special place in my heart.

--Raj Manoharan