Blue Planet and Gandhi composer George Fenton dies aged 76

Composer George Fenton, whose work included music for films such as Gandhi, Groundhog Day and The Fisher King, as well as TV shows like Planet Earth and Bergerac, has died at the age of 76.

The prolific musician received five Oscar nominations for his film scores, including those for The Remains of the Day and Cry Freedom.

His work on the BBC TV show Blue Planet also earned awards from the Baftas, Emmy Awards and Ivor Novellos; and he also composed theme music for BBC News programmes such as Newsnight and Breakfast Time.

In a statement, Fenton's family said: "We are very sad to announce that George Fenton passed away unexpectedly today."

They continued: "He is survived by his loving wife Amanda, ex-wife Jane, children Gemma, Grace and Bridget, and grandchildren Lola, Audrey, Alfred, George, Frank and Beatrice, and a life of music."

Fenton was born George Howe in Bromley, Kent in 1949. According to a biography on his official website, his father was a mechanical engineer, and his mother had been a dancer before becoming a nurse during the war.

Both parents were musical - his father played drums and his mother played piano - but Fenton chose the electric guitar as his instrument at the age of seven.

That was "when music became more important than football," he later told The Express newspaper. "The Beatles had a huge influence on me."