Will Jennings, the Oscar-winning writer behind such mega-hits as “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic” and “Tears in Heaven,” has died at age 80, his talent agency confirmed to CBS News.
“May his memory be a blessing,” The Gorfine/Schwartz Agency, Inc. Sam Schwartz told CBS News on Sunday.
No cause of death was released, although multiple reports stated that he had been ill for some time.
Jennings was born in Kilgore, Texas on June 27, 1944 – the youngest of three children. Before pursuing a career in Hollywood, he was a professor at Tyler Junior College in Taylor, Texas, and then at Austin State University, before teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for three years.
Throughout his career, the songwriter has written for a variety of artists including Steve Winwood, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, BB King, Mariah Carey, Jimmy Buffett, Barry Manilow and Roy Orbison.
He won two Oscars for co-writing “Titanic” – which was recorded by Celine Dion – and “An Officer and a Gentleman” with Jacques Nietzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie.
It won a Golden Globe for best original song and a Grammy for record of the year and song of the year for “Tears in Heaven” — performed by Clapton — from the film “Rush.”
Jennings was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.
Musician Peter Wolf paid tribute to the songwriter Social media postWriting, “’A Lot of Good Ones Gone’ … a sad time, the passing of Will Jennings, a maestro, brilliant mind and gentle spirit. Will shared his talents with me, always patient and generous, he was an invaluable friend and teacher, enriching my life in many ways. It has been a great honor to work with such a musical genius for so many years …to quote one of his favorite poets, WB Yeats, ‘Consider where a man’s glory begins and ends, and say that my glory was I had friends like that.’ “
Jennings is survived by his wife Carol and his sisters Joyce and Gloria.
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