Will Jennings, a distinguished Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter and lyricist, has died at the age of 80. No cause of death was publicly announced, although Jennings had apparently been ill for quite some time. Jennings will be remembered for co-writing two emotional Academy Award-winning anthems, “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic that was recorded by Céline Dion (which also won Grammys for Song of the Year and Record of the Year), and “Up Where We Belong” from An Officer and a Gentleman, which was sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes. Jennings also co-wrote Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” from the movie Rush, which earned Will a Golden Globe for Best Original Song as well as Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Jennings also worked with Whitney Houston, Steve Winwood, Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, and Tim McGraw, among others, writing two No. 1 hits with Winwood, “Higher Love” and “Roll WIth It,” while also writing the lyrics for Warwick’s Grammy winning song, “I’ll Never Love This Way Again.” Jennings was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006, and was also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. (Variety)
