Bio
As Danny Elfman (the son of an Air Force father) was growing up in the Los Angeles area, he was largely unaware of his talent for composing. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Danny and his older brother Richard started a musical troupe while in Paris; the group "Mystic Knights of Oingo-Boingo" was created for Richard's directorial debut, _The Forbidden Zone_ (now considered a cult classic by Elfman fans). The group's name has gone through many incarnations over the years, from "Mystic Knights" and "Oingo-Boingo" to, eventually, its current name, "Boingo". While continuing to compose eclectic, intelligent rock music for his L.A.-based band (some of which had been used in various film soundtracks, e.g. "Weird Science" in a movie by the same name), Danny formed a friendship with young director Tim Burton, who was then a fan of Oingo-Boingo. Danny went on to score the soundtrack of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), which represented Danny's first orchestral film score. The Elfman-Burton partnership continued (most notably through the hugely-successful _Batman_ flicks) and opened doors of opportunity for Danny, who has been referred to as "Hollywood's hottest film composer".
Elfman leads a double life: as one of the most successful and sought-after film composers in Hollywood, and as a charter member of the cult rock group Oingo Boingo (along with brother Richard Elfman). His first assignment was providing music for his brother's bizarre feature film Forbidden Zone (1980), but it was his circusy, cartoonish score for Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) that made people sit up and take notice. That was director Tim Burton's first feature, and they've worked together since then on Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Batman Returns (1992). Elfman has also scored such diverse films as Back to School (1986), Midnight Run, Big Top Pee-wee (both 1988), Dick Tracy and Darkman (both 1990). Initially typecast for his Pee-wee-type music, then associated with the rich textures of the symphonic Batman score, Elfman has continued to defy those who would pigeonhole him, as his excellent (and atypical) work on Sommersby (1993) and Black Beauty (1994) confirms. He also composed the theme music for TV's "The Simpsons" and provided a song score for Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), as well as singing the voice of lead character Jack Skellington.
Elfman leads a double life: as one of the most successful and sought-after film composers in Hollywood, and as a charter member of the cult rock group Oingo Boingo (along with brother Richard Elfman). His first assignment was providing music for his brother's bizarre feature film Forbidden Zone (1980), but it was his circusy, cartoonish score for Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) that made people sit up and take notice. That was director Tim Burton's first feature, and they've worked together since then on Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Batman Returns (1992). Elfman has also scored such diverse films as Back to School (1986), Midnight Run, Big Top Pee-wee (both 1988), Dick Tracy and Darkman (both 1990). Initially typecast for his Pee-wee-type music, then associated with the rich textures of the symphonic Batman score, Elfman has continued to defy those who would pigeonhole him, as his excellent (and atypical) work on Sommersby (1993) and Black Beauty (1994) confirms. He also composed the theme music for TV's "The Simpsons" and provided a song score for Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), as well as singing the voice of lead character Jack Skellington.
