Will Jennings, famed lyricist and co-writer of Titanic’s ‘My Heart Will Go On,’ dies at 80

Will Jennings, Oscar-winning lyricist and co-writer of the iconic “Titanic” theme, “My Heart Will Go On,” has died at the age of 80, according to multiple reports.

Jennings won an Academy Award for Best Original Song alongside composer James Horner for the haunting ballad from the 1997 disaster film, made legendary by Celine Dion.

He also won the coveted award for “Up Where We Belong” from “An Officer and a Gentleman,” and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “People Alone” from “The Competition.”.”

In 2006 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

She also won two Grammy Awards for “My Heart Will Go On” and Eric Clapton’s 1991 hit, “Tears in Heaven.”

The song was written about the death of Clapton’s four-year-old son, Conor, and appeared on the soundtrack to the film “Rush.”

Born in Kilgore, Texas, on June 27, 1944, Jennings began his career with “The Commitment” in 1976.,“ after which he teamed up with Richard Kett to write Barry Manilow’s number one hit, “Looks Like We Made it.”

He was also a collaborator with Steve Winwood, working on several songs on A Diver’s Bow and Talking to the Nightwhich included the hit “Valerie.” Other joint hits with Winwood include “Higher Love” and “Back in the High Life Again.”

But it was his words in the moving song “My Heart Will Go On” that made him a superstar.

He told Songfacts that his inspiration for the song’s lyrics came from a “vibrant” woman he had met two years earlier who was around 101 years old. Reported variety.

“And she came to mind,” Jennings said. “And I realized she could have been on the Titanic. So I wrote everything from the point of view of an older person looking back on so many years.”

Jennings also worked with Whitney Houston on “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” Dionne Warwick’s “I’ll Never Love Again” and other music heavyweights including Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw, BB King, Diana Ross, Faith Hill and Jimmy Buffett.

Jennings reportedly died at his home in Texas. The cause of death was not identified.