The Oscar-winning composer worked with some of the world’s biggest musical stars such as Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis.

French New Wave composer Michel Legrand has died at the age of 86, reports the BBC.

During a career spanning over half a century, the Paris-born composer and jazz pianist scooped three Oscars and worked with Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Jean Cocteau and many more greats. He won his first Oscar in 1968 for the song ‘The Windmills of Your Mind’, which was featured in the film The Thomas Crown Affair.

In the ‘60s, Legrand was an integral part of French New Wave cinema, composing films for director Jacques Demy – Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964) and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (1967). He collaborated with Jean-Luc Godard on films including 1962’s Vivre sa vie: film en douze tableaux and 1964’s Bande à part.

Legrand won Oscars in 1971 and 1983 for the best original scores in Summer of ’42 and Yentl films respectively. He also picked up five Grammys.

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