GRAMMY-winning artist, arranger, conductor, and composer Paul Buckmaster died on Nov. 7, according to a tweet from his management company, McDaniel Entertainment. An official cause of death has not been revealed. He was 71 years old.
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A classically trained cellist from the age of 4, Buckmaster shifted gears to composing orchestral arrangements for pop and rock artists in the late '60s, making a name for himself after writing the string arrangement for David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
Throughout the early 1970s, Buckmaster rubbed elbows with many now-legendary artists in the early phases of their careers, contributing to Elton John's albums Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection, and Madman Across The Water, as well as Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones.
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He was also an active film score composer, having worked on films such as The Man Who Fell To Earth (starring David Bowie) and Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys. More recently, he collaborated with acts like Taylor Swift, Chris Cornell, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, and Heart.
At the 44th GRAMMY Awards, Buckmaster won for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for his contribution to Train's "Drops Of Jupiter."
Photo caption: Paul Buckmaster (center) with Train at rehearsals for the 44th GRAMMY Awards in 2002
