Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman
Elfman at the premiere for Next Exit at the Village East by Angelika in 2022
Born
Daniel Robert Elfman

(1953-05-29) May 29, 1953 (age 70)
Occupations
  • Composer
  • record producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Years active1972–present
Spouse
(m. 2003)
Parent
RelativesRichard Elfman (brother)
Musical career
Genres
Formerly ofOingo Boingo
Websitedannyelfman.com

Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s.[3] Since scoring his first studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition for composing over 100 feature film scores,[4] as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall.

Elfman has frequently worked with directors Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, and Gus Van Sant, contributing music to nearly 20 Burton projects, including Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and Wednesday,[5] as well as scoring Raimi's Darkman, A Simple Plan, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,[6] and Van Sant's Academy Award-winning films Good Will Hunting and Milk.[7] He wrote music for all of the Men in Black and Fifty Shades of Grey franchise films, the songs and score for Henry Selick's animated musical The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the themes for the popular television series Desperate Housewives and The Simpsons.[8]

Among his honors are four Oscar nominations,[4] two Emmy Awards,[9] a Grammy,[10] seven Saturn Awards for Best Music, the 2002 Richard Kirk Award,[11] the 2015 Disney Legend Award,[12] the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award in 2017,[13] and the Society of Composers & Lyricists Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.[14]

  1. ^ "Oingo Boingo". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  2. ^ Denman-Underhill, Lori (October 12, 2019). "Overcoming Stage Fright, Danny Elfman Brings Nightmare to the Bowl". LA Weekly. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  3. ^ O'Neal, Sean (October 27, 2014). "Danny Elfman on Oingo Boingo, film scores, and the Beatles almost ruining Batman". AV Music. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Kraft, Richard. "Danny Elfman". Kraft-Engel.com. Kraft-Engel Management. Retrieved October 8, 2019. Beginning with his first score on Tim Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Elfman has scored over 100 films...
  5. ^ Gilchrist, Todd (March 25, 2019). "Dumbo composer Danny Elfman on his iconic partnership with Tim Burton". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  6. ^ Francisco, Eric (February 18, 2021). "Exclusive: Danny Elfman confirms he's scoring Doctor Strange 2". Inverse. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Iwasaki, Scott (January 24, 2018). "Filmmaker Gus Van Sant and composer Danny Elfman talk of their collaborations". Park Record. Park City, Utah. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  8. ^ Collette, Olivia (July 6, 2015). "Danny Elfman Tells the Stories Behind 8 of His Classic Scores". Vulture. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  9. ^ "Danny Elfman: Awards & Nominations". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  10. ^ "Artist: Danny Elfman". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  11. ^ "Top Film, TV, Cable Composers Honored at BMI's Annual Film/TV Awards". Broadcast Music, Inc. May 14, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  12. ^ Lincoln, Ross (July 14, 2015). "George Lucas, Danny Elfman, Others to Be Honored at D23 2015". Deadline. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  13. ^ "BMI Composer Danny Elfman Receives Max Steiner Award at Hollywood in Vienna". BMI.com. October 7, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  14. ^ Grein, Paul (November 23, 2022). "Danny Elfman & Nicholas Britell to Be Honored at Society of Composers & Lyricists' Holiday Celebrations". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2022.