Who Is Jerry Goldsmith? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Jerry Goldsmith was born on February 10, 1929, and passed away on July 21, 2004, leaving behind an indelible mark on the world of film music. With a career spanning over five decades, Goldsmith composed memorable scores for various films, winning numerous awards, including an Academy Award and several Grammy Awards. As of 2025, Goldsmith would have been 96 years old, a testament to his lasting legacy in the film industry.
| Occupation | Conductor |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | February 10, 1929 |
| Age | 75 Years |
| Birth Place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 21 July, 2004 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Popularity
Jerry Goldsmith's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Although specific measurements for Goldsmith are not widely documented due to the era he lived in, he was often described as a tall and charismatic personality. Standing at approximately 6 feet (183 cm) tall, Goldsmith had a commanding presence. His weight fluctuated throughout his life, typical of a music professional focused more on creativity than fitness standards.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Jerry Goldsmith was married to Carol Goldsmith, with whom he shared a loving partnership that lasted until his passing in 2004. The couple raised five children together. Goldsmith's family life was often kept out of the public eye, focusing more on his professional achievements than his private ones. He was known for being a devoted husband and father.
His parents were Tessa (née Rappaport), a school teacher, and Morris Goldsmith, a structural engineer. All his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Austria-Hungary and Romania. He started playing piano at age six, but only "got serious" by the time he was eleven.
At age thirteen, he studied piano privately with concert pianist and educator Jakob Gimpel (whom Goldsmith would later employ to perform piano solos in his score to The Mephisto Waltz) and by the age of sixteen he was studying both theory and counterpoint under Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, who also tutored such noteworthy composers a
nd musicians as Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, Herman Stein, André Previn, Marty Paich, and John Williams.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing, Jerry Goldsmith's net worth was estimated to be around $40 million. Throughout his career, he earned significant sums from his film scores, with per-project earnings often ranging from $100,000 to several million dollars for major films. His continuous work in television and film contributed to a lucrative career, making him one of the richest film composers of his time.
Career, Business, and Investments
Jerry Goldsmith’s illustrious career saw him make significant contributions to over 200 films, including classics such as "Alien," "The Omen," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," and "Rudy." His innovative blending of orchestral and electronic music set a new standard in film scoring. Besides composing, Goldsmith was known for investing in music publishing and producing various soundtracks, further solidifying his financial success. His business acumen complemented his artistic expertise, making him a well-rounded figure in the film industry.
Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929 – July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was considered one of film music's most innovative and influential composers.
He was nominated for eighteen Academy Awards (winning in 1977 for The Omen), six Grammy Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards, nine Golden Globe Awards, and four British Academy Film Awards.
Social Network
Although Jerry Goldsmith was not active on social media during his lifetime, his legacy is celebrated on various platforms by fans, film historians, and musicians. Retro fan pages and groups dedicated to his work can be found on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where enthusiasts share insights, performances, and tributes to his iconic scores.
Following his success with Lonely Are the Brave and Freud, Goldsmith composed the theme music for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
(1964), and scores to such films as the western Rio Conchos, the political thriller Seven Days in May (both also 1964), the romantic drama A Patch of Blue (1965), the war film In Harm's Way (also 1965), the World War I air combat film The Blue Max (1966), the period naval war drama The Sand Pebbles (also 1966), the thriller Warning Shot (1967), the
western Hour of the Gun (also 1967), and the mystery The Detective (1968).
He almost did not accept the assignment for The Blue Max when he watched the final cut with the producers who had temp-tracked it with Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra. He said: "I admit it worked fairly well but my first reaction was to get up and walk away from the job, but I couldn't.
Once you've heard music like that with the picture, it makes your own scoring more difficult to arrive at, it clouds your thinking." Goldsmith's scores to A Patch of Blue and The Sand Pebbles garnered him his second and third Academy Award nominations, respectively, and were both one of the 250 nominees for the American Film Institute's top twenty-
five American film scores.
His scores for Seven Days in May and The Sand Pebbles also garnered Goldsmith his first two respective Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Original Score in 1965 and 1967.
During this time, he also composed for many lighter, comedic films such as the family comedy The Trouble with Angels (1966), the James Bond parodies Our Man Flint (1966) and its sequel In Like Flint (1967), and the comedy The Flim-Flam Man (1967).
Education
Jerry Goldsmith attended the University of Southern California, where he studied composition. His formal education laid the groundwork for his innovative style that would later revolutionize film scoring. He was heavily influenced by various genres and styles, and his education played a crucial role in developing his signature sound.
