The famous composer who creates unforgettable music for David Lynch projects such as Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive.
Lynch and Badalamenti have collaborated on some of the world's most important productions, including Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway, The Straight Story, and Mulholland Drive. Over time, two close friends, Lynch and Badalamenti, did extraordinary things. Badalamenti also took on a dol on Mulholland Drive as coffee-loving gangster Luigi Castiglione. He also played piano with Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet.
Angelo Daniel Badalamenti (March 22, 1937 – December 11, 2022) was an American composer and arranger best known for his work in composing for films. He mainly is known for his collaborations with director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga (1990–1992, 2017), The Straight Story, and Mulholland Drive.
Having studied classical music, the musician has also worked with names such as Nina Simone, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Shirley Bassey, Marianne Faithfull, Liza Minnelli, Pet Shop Boys, and LL Cool J throughout his career. He also composed the torch theme for the 1992 Olympic Games.
He was brought in in 1986 to work as a vocal coach for Rossellini on Blue Velvet, his first collaboration with Lynch. Eventually, Lynch commissioned him to write the music for the film.
Badalamenti received the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for his "Twin Peaks Theme". He composed scores for many other films including The City of Lost Children, A Very Long Engagement, and Holy Smoke!
Badalamenti wrote the music for Twin Peaks without seeing the scenes.
Badalamenti received a Grammy award and three Emmy nominations for his work on Twin Peaks, and the soundtrack was among the top-streamed in 25 countries.
Born in Brooklyn in 1937, Badalamenti played piano and horn in his youth before attending music school on a full scholarship. He graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in 1960. During college holidays, he would accompany artists to resorts in the Catskill Mountains. He composed his first soundtrack for Gordon's War in 1973. The third soundtrack was 1986's Blue Velvet.
Badalamenti received a lifetime achievement award at the 2008 World Film Music Awards and the prestigious Henry Mancini award in 2011.