1. David Arnold was born on 23 January 1962 and is an English film composer whose credits include scoring five James Bond films, as well as Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, Shaft, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Four Brothers, Hot Fuzz, and the television series Little Britain and Sherlock.
David Arnold is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
Cannon initially created short films for which David Arnold was asked to write the music.
David Arnold then composed music for Stargate director Roland Emmerich's next two movies, Independence Day and Godzilla, as well as four movies for director John Singleton.
David Arnold is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
On Thursday 29 November 2012, David Arnold received an honorary degree from University of West London.
David Arnold performed his debut orchestral concert, showcasing his film and television music, on Sunday 6 July 2014 at London's Royal Festival Hall.
David Arnold gave a pre-show talk about his work and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and Maida Vale Singers performed the original music while the film screened.
David Arnold hosted another two concerts of his music in Dublin, at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on 19 and 20 May 2017, with the RTE Concert Orchestra.
The first James Bond film ever to be screened with a live orchestra was Casino Royale in Concert which took place at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 30 September 2017; David Arnold held a pre-concert question and answer session.
David Arnold was a Bond fan from an early age and a fan of Bond composer John Barry.
David Arnold was hired to score the instalment and, returning the compliment to the man he refers to as "The guvnor", included musical references to Barry's score for From Russia with Love, as well as, of course, the James Bond Theme composed by Monty Norman with Barry's arrangement.
David Arnold scored the four subsequent Bond films: The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.
David Arnold did not score the 23rd James Bond film, Skyfall, with Thomas Newman taking his place.
David Arnold commented that Newman had been selected by the film's director, Sam Mendes, because of their history of working together, rather than because of David Arnold's commitment to working with director Danny Boyle as composer for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
David Arnold contributed the main themes to Kevin Kiner's score for Activision's GoldenEye 007, the remake of the 1997 game of the same name.
David Arnold has collaborated with such musical acts as Cast, Kaiser Chiefs, Massive Attack, and Pulp, and solo artists Natasha Bedingfield, Melanie C, Bjork, Chris Cornell, Shirley Manson, Mark Morriss, Nina Persson and in 2009 produced Shirley Bassey's album The Performance.
David Arnold's version was used as the Eighth Doctor theme starting with 2001's Storm Warning until 2008, when it was replaced with a new version arranged by Nicholas Briggs starting with Dead London.
David Arnold's theme returned to the Eighth Doctor releases with the 2012 box set, Dark Eyes.
David Arnold is the second cousin of Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice, and is an ambassador for aid agency CARE International in the UK.
David Arnold has made minor appearances in two different episodes of Little Britain as separate characters.
David Arnold took part in a tribute to John Barry on 20 June 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, singing a song that was composed by Barry and playing the guitar part of the James Bond theme.
In 2014, David Arnold teamed up with Richard Thomas, to write the music and lyrics for the new West End musical Made in Dagenham.
In September 2016 the Royal Albert Hall hosted an orchestral performance of Independence Day with the score performed live to picture, David Arnold gave a pre-show talk.
In 2019, David Arnold provided additional production for Sophie Ellis-Bextor's orchestral album, The Song Diaries.