James Newton Howard was born in Los Angeles, California on June 9, 1951. To this day, he has scored over 100 films and contributed to the soundtracks of many more. He has collaborated with the well-known Hans Zimmer on many occasions, including the films The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight 2. James is a composer, musician, and songwriter. James definitely got his start in music from his family- his grandmother was the concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Orchestra in the 1930s. He started his career arranging for Elton John, and eventually moved over to film. Some of James' most famous works can be seen below.