Legendary songwriter Will Jennings passed away at the age of 80. He worked on two albums with Jimmy Buffett and Michael Utley, “Riddles in the Sand” and “Last Mango in Paris”, and co-wrote the songs “If the Phone Doesn’t Ring It’s Me”, “Knees of My Heart”, and “Jolly Mon”.
From Variety: Will Jennings, Co-writer of ‘My Heart Will Go On,’ ‘Tears in Heaven’ and Other Classics, Dies at 80
Will Jennings, an Oscar winner for “My Heart Will Go On” and “Up Where We Belong” and one of the best known lyricists in the contemporary songwriting community, has died, his longtime publisher confirms to Variety. No cause of death was announced, although he had been ill for some time; he was 80.
Although the themes he co-wrote for “Titanic” (recorded by Celine Dion) and “An Officer and a Gentleman” (sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes) won him his two Academy Awards, Jennings was equally renowned for a third film song, “Tears in Heaven” (performed by Eric Clapton), from the movie “Rush,” which won him a Golden Globe for best original song as well as Grammys for record of the year and song of the year. He also won three Grammy Awards