Harrogate musician who worked with Tina Turner and on The Lion King has died
The brilliant keyboard player in legendary 1970s Harrogate rock band Wally, who signed to Atlantic Records in the long-haired, flared trousers days of the 1970s, has sadly passed after a stellar second career as a Hollywood composer.
Long-time band associate, photographer and fan, Stuart Linden Rhodes, told the Harrogate Advertiser: “It is with the saddest of hearts that we announce Wally keyboard player, composer, conductor and musician Nick Glennie-Smith died on August 16, 2026, at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia, after a period of ill-health.
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“He was 74 years old.
“Born in London on October 3, 1951, Glennie-Smith started in the 1970s playing with the progressive-rock band Wally and recording alongside major artists like Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, and Roger Waters.
“He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s to join Hans Zimmer’s studio collective, contributing to numerous Hollywood blockbusters.
“He co-composed The Rock (1996) and scored The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), alongside contributions to major films like The Lion King and Crimson Tide.
“He served as a conductor and musical director for scores in the Pirates of the Caribbean and Transformers series, the 2012 Oscars, and Hans Zimmer Live tours.
“Nick was married to his wife Jan for more than three decades, and the couple had four children.
“His son, Seth Glennie-Smith, is also a music editor and composer.”