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Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman

ALL ARTIST INFO IS PULLED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
IF YOU REPRESENT THIS ARTIST AND WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY YOUR PAGE OR UPDATE THE INFO, Click Here
birthday
29th
May, 1953
Birth Place
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Birth Sign
gemini
Biography

Danny Elfman is an American singer, songwriter, and composer from Los Angeles, California. Born on May 29, 1953, the 68-year-old musician is one of the most prolific film composers of all time, and he’s well-known for his frequent collaboration with directors like Tim Burton, Peter Jackson, Brian De Palma, Gus Van Sant, and Sam Raimi. 

Elfman’s notable scores include the music for Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Men in Black, The Simpsons Movie, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, Burton’s Batman, Good Will Hunting, and more, as well as the theme music for The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives. 

In addition to working as a film composer, Elfman founded the new wave band Oingo Boingo back in 1979. The group was active between ’79 and 1995, but they disbanded once Elfman began to focus on film composition. Oingo Boingo released eight studio albums during their multi-decade run, including Dark at the End of the Tunnel, Only a Lad, Nothing to Fear, and more. Elfman’s distinct singing voice is considered a highlight of the band’s music – he provided lead vocals on nearly every track in the band’s discography.

Elfman’s composing work has earned him countless awards and nominations, including two Emmys, four Oscar nods, six Saturn Awards, and one Grammy. 

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instruments played
Guitar
percussion
Piano
trombone
violin
Vocals
Associated Acts

Oingo Boingo

Birth Name

Daniel Robert Elfman

Genres

Film score pop new wave

Occupations

Film composer singer, songwriter record producer actor

Website

dannyelfman.com

Years Active

1972 present

Name

Danny Elfman

Nationality

United States of America

Wiki Link

Young Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman didn't grow up obsessed with music. Instead, he was primarily interested in science during his school years. However, his love for jazz and classical developed when he went to a new school for senior high. There, he bonded with the band kids and fell in love with the works of composers like Stravinsky, Bernard Herrmann, and Franz Waxman, all of whom have served as influences for his own music.  Elfman spent time busking around Africa after high school before coming home to get involved at CalArts. During his college years, Elfman founded a performance art group called Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, which would later become the basis for his rock band, Oingo Boingo. 

Elfman's Early Scores

Elfman's first score was for the 1983 cult classic Forbidden Zone, which was directed by Danny's brother Richard Elfman. That movie later went on to become known as "The Citizen Kane of underground movies."  After Forbidden Zone's score was completed, Elfman went on to compose the music for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, which was his first collaboration with director Tim Burton. In 1986, Elfman composed the score for the Rodney Dangerfield vehicle Back to School, followed by the Emilio Estevez-directed Wisdom.  Other early efforts from Elfman displayed his knack for directing an orchestra, including the soundtracks for Beetlejuice, Midnight Run, and Batman (he turned down working with Prince on this), the latter of which won Elfman his only Grammy for Best Score. 

Elfman in the 1990s 

Danny worked extensively throughout the 1990s, primarily providing music for blockbuster films. He collaborated with Tim Burton multiple times during the decade, including on the follow-up to Batman, Batman Returns.  Other Burton collaborations from the 90s include The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands, as well as Mars Attacks later in the decade. The soundtrack for Burton's Halloween/Christmas classic about Jack Skellington has become one of Elfman's most beloved scores.  Other notable composing efforts from Elfman during the 90s include the scores for Mission: Impossible, Men in Black starring Will Smith, Flubber, Good Will Hunting, Sleepy Hollow, Darkman, and Delores Claiborne.

Elfman in the 2000s

The 2000s were a busy decade for Elfman, and the first half of the decade brought the composer several Oscar nominations. His first score of the 2000s was for the film Proof of Life, followed by a Burton collaboration, Planet of the Apes. Other noteworthy Elfman scores from the 2000s include Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Men in Black II, Hulk (the 2003 Ang Lee-directed version), Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Meet the Robinsons, Nacho Libre, and many more.

Elfman in the 2010s 

In 2010, Elfman's score for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.  Danny continued working hard throughout the 2010s, making music for Dark Shadows, Frankenweenie, Fifty Shades of Grey, Silver Linings Playbook, Justice League, The Grinch, Dumbo, and many more. 

Elfman's Concert Music

In addition to composing scores for films, Elfman has devoted a significant portion of his career to concert music. His first suite, Serenada Schizophrana, was released on October 3, 2006, and performed at Carnegie Hall by the American Composers Orchestra. Elfman's other concert pieces include Eleven Eleven, his first violin concerto, and The Piano Quartet, among many others.

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