Page 253 - They Also Served

Despite his undoubted talent and musical pedigree, Addison was regarded within the classical music fraternity as a ‘lightweight’ although, as he himself explained: ‘If you find you’re good at something, as I was as a film composer, it’s stupid to do anything else’. Recognition came when the 1963 film Tom Jones, a period romp, was an unexpected success. Addison picked up both a Grammy and an Oscar for the score. In 1977, A Bridge Too Far gave him belated recognition at home in the form of a BAFTA from the British Academy Film Awards – uniquely composing the score for a film commemorating an event in which he was actually involved.
Seemingly satisfied with his film career, Addison emigrated to America, where he concentrated on the slightly less creatively challenging but highly lucrative market in themes for made-for-television films and TV series. Most people over the age of 50 will remember his score for the equestrian-themed Black Beauty. In the twilight of his career, he was able to put his feet up and live on the royalties from the catchy theme tune to the oft-repeated Murder She Wrote. John Addison died in Bennington, Vermont, on 7th December 1998.
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