James Horner, the composer who is behind the Oscar-winning score for Titanic, has died in a plane crash.

The trained pilot is said to have been aboard a small private plane on his own in California, when it crashed on Monday morning (June 22) just north of Santa Barbara.

The musician, who was just 61-years-old, had also worked on A Beautiful Mind, Braveheart, Troy and Apollo 13.

But that's not all, for he was also the composer for two of the highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar and Titanic, with over 158 composer credits to his name.

Personal assistant to Homer, Sylvia Patrycja, wrote on Facebook: "We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent. He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road."

While close friend Ron Howard took to Twitter to share his condolences:

Celine Dion has also released a statement, saying she is"deeply saddened" by the composer's "tragic death".