Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman is a composer and the former frontman of New Wave band Oingo Boingo. ∙ When he was 18, he visited his brother in France, where he joined a musical theater troupe, playing the violin as a street performer. ∙ In the ’80s and early ’90s, he fronted Oingo Boingo, a new wave band evolved from Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a quirky cabaret group for which he was the musical director. ∙ Elfman scored his first film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, the same year that Oingo Boingo had their first big hit—“Weird Science,” from the movie of the same name. ∙ His Emmy-nominated theme song for The Simpsons was approved to be recorded the same day that he composed and demoed the tune. ∙ Elfman has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including twice in the Best Original Score category. ∙ He has worked on music for 17 Tim Burton films, resulting in a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (“The Batman Theme”) and three Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Score. ∙ In addition to his TV and movie soundtrack work, Elfman has composed a full percussion concerto for the London Philharmonic Orchestra. ∙ Just in time for Halloween in 2020, Elfman released “Happy,” his first non-score solo single in 36 years.