Composer Michael Kamen Passes Away

Oscar-nominated composer, conductor and arranger Michael Kamen, one of Hollywood's most sought-after musicians, died at age 55 Tuesday after suffering from multiple sclerosis for several years, members of his family said.

Kamen died in a hospital in London, where he had lived with his wife and two daughters. Doctors were unable to resuscitate Kamen following a "cardiac event."

The native New Yorker and Juilliard School of Music Graduate was one of Hollywood's most successful composers who worked on music for the "Lethal Weapon" series and scored Die Hard among many other films.

He was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996, but did not go public about the disease until late September. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that causes various disabilities.

Kamen composed the music for such films as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Mr. Holland's Opus and X-Men, plus the HBO series Band of Brothers. He earned his first Academy Award nomination in 1991 for "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," the Bryan Adams pop hit from the movie, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.