Revered US composer Angelo Badalamenti has died at age 85, his family have confirmed in a statement.
The composer died of natural causes at his home on Sunday, December 11 surrounded by family, the statement confirmed.
Badalamenti is best known for his work with director David Lynch, providing the score and serving as music supervisor for his 1986 film Blue Velvet.
The pair reunited in 1990 for Lynch's acclaimed series Twin Peaks, where Badalamenti created the beautifully uneasy main title theme.
“He’s got this musical soul, and melodies are always floating around inside,” Lynch told People Magazine in 1990.
“I feel the mood of a scene in the music, and one thing helps the other, and they both just start climbing.”
Badalamenti won a Grammy and two Emmy nominations for his work on Twin Peaks, with the soundtrack to the first season being certified Gold in the UK, US and Canada and certified Platinum in Australia.
In addition to Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, he also composed music for Lynch's Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive and Rabbits.
Badalamenti also got to exercise his acting chops in a memorable scene in Mulholland Drive, playing a gangster who is very particular about his espresso.
Lynch and Badalamenti last teamed up for Twin Peaks' revival third season in 2017.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1937, Badalamenti played piano and French horn, graduating from Manhattan School of Music in 1960.
He then landed a job at a music publisher, which saw him write songs for artist such as Nina Simone and Shirley Bassey under the pseudonym Andy Badale.
Outside of his Lynch collaborations, Badalamenti composed music for more mainstream films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
Badalamenti also dabbled in music away from film and TV, working with artists including The Pet Shop Boys, David Bowie, Anthrax, Marianne Faithful and Cranberries vocalist Dolores O'Riordan.
ABC/AP
