Vangelis was an electronic music pioneer who composed the scores for the films ‘Chariots of Fire’ and ‘Blade Runner.’
- Died: Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Who else died on May 17?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 79.
- We invite you to share condolences for Vangelis in our Guest Book.
Electronic Music Pioneer
Vangelis (born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou) taught himself how to play piano and started out playing in pop bands and doing Beatles covers. He formed the progressive rock band Aphrodite’s Child, which had success in Europe with their single ‘Rain and Tears’ in 1968. When Rick Wakeman left the band Yes in 1974, Vangelis auditioned and was invited to join the band but was reluctant to tour so he declined. He would end up working with Yes singer Jon Anderson and they released a series of albums. He began composing film and TV scores in the 1970s and was best known for his Oscar-winning score for the 1981 film ‘Chariots of Fire.’ The movie’s theme song reached number one on the Billboard chart. He also composed scores for the films ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Missing.’ He released a solo album titled ‘Juno to Jupiter’ in 2021. He was known for being a private person and rarely gave interviews.
Notable Quote
“Nobody believed the film would be so successful,” he said. “When I wrote the score, I didn’t write it to be No. 1; I did it because I liked the people I was working with. It was a very humble, low-budget film.” – Spin Magazine 1985
Tributes to Vangelis
Full Obituary: Variety
