‘X-Files’ Composer Mark Snow Has Died at Age 78

Variety reports that Mark Snow, who composed music for several television programs, including The X-Files and its offshoot series Millennium, died on Friday. He was 78 years old and the most recent TV and movie composer to die. Lalo Schifrin of Mission: Impossible died at the end of June.

Martin Fulterman was born on August 26, 1946, and Snow started his career collaborating with other composers to create background music for the television shows The Rookies (1975–1976) and The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976). His career included roles in video games (Urban Assault, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain), movies (Jake Speed, Disturbing Behaviour), and television (Blue Bloods, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse) over the years. Among his genre-specific credits are the first six seasons of Smallville and the DC series Birds of Prey. New Mutants, the 2020 X-Men movie, was his last professional work.

Snow had a friendship with R.W. Goodwin, the executive producer of The X-Files, who frequently pushed Snow in front of series creator Chris Carter. Following three auditions, he was hired, and his theme song and solo debut were unveiled in the second episode of the show, “Deep Throat.” The Smiths’ “How Soon is Now?” served as the inspiration for the theme’s whistle effect, which at the time spent weeks at the number two spot in the UK and France charts.

Snow received multiple nominations and accolades throughout the first run of the show for his compositions in general as well as for particular episodes like “Paper Hearts” and “The Truth,” the first series finale. In addition to that, he received 15 Emmy nominations over his career. In 2005, he was recognized with the ASCAP Golden Note award for “his unprecedented success as one of the most versatile and popular composers in television and film.”

“Another loss,” said fellow TV and video game composer Bear McCreary. “Mark Snow’s legacy will forever be connected to his iconic work on The X-Files, but he also crafted memorable music for many other series. I chatted with him at length several times about our approaches to work and life. He was always charming and friendly.”

Snow’s wife, Glynnis, as well as their daughters and grandchildren, survive him.

(Via Variety)