Shirley Walker
One of the most respected composers of her time, a mentor to younger writers and a trailblazing figure whose work led the way for the many women composers of today, Shirley Walker is remembered for her keen dramatic sense and no-nonsense approach to her work.
She won two Emmys (for BATMAN BEYOND and THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN) and was nominated for a third (SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND). She held the record for scoring more major-studio films than any other American woman, including MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN (1992), ESCAPE FROM L.A. (1996) and the FINAL DESTINATION series (2000-06). But she was best known for her music for DC super-heroes: the live-action THE FLASH (1990-91), Warner Bros. animated series BATMAN (1992-95), SUPERMAN (1996-2000) and others.
Walker came to Los Angeles after rescuing THE BLACK STALLION from scoring disaster in 1979. She worked on several popular TV series (LOU GRANT, CAGNEY & LACEY, FALCON CREST), orchestrated and conducted for Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer (BATMAN, BACKDRAFT, etc.) and went on to build an admirable career writing and conducting her own scores. Her death in 2006, at the age of 61, robbed Hollywood of one of its most influential musicians. Her protegés carry on her legacy and never fail to cite her as a pioneer. In 2014, ASCAP inaugurated the Shirley Walker award to honor “those whose achievements have contributed to the diversity of film and television music.”