Hollywood composer Hirschhorn dead at 67

Oscar-winning film composer Joel Hirschhorn has died in a Thousand Oaks, Calif., hospital of a heart attack at age 67.

Hirschhorn died Saturday at Los Robles Hospital, Daily Variety reported Tuesday.

Hirschhorn and collaborator Al Kasha won Oscars for "The Morning After" from "The Poseidon Adventure" and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from "The Towering Inferno" and were nominated for their tunes in Disney's 1977 "Pete's Dragon."

Hirschhorn also garnered Tony nominations for scores of Broadway's "Copperfield" and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

Among his many film scores were "The Fat Spy," "The Cheyenne Social Club" and "China Cry" and TV scores for "Knots Landing," the animated "Charles Dickens' David Copperfield," "Magic Paintbrush" and "Trapped Beneath the Sea."

His songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison and David Hasselhoff, Variety said.

For the past six years, Hirschhorn had been working as a critic for Daily Variety.

He is survived by his wife, Jennifer; two sons; a grandson; his mother; and a sister.

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