Iconic Songwriter Who Co-Wrote ‘My Heart Will Go On’ Dies
The two-time Oscar and three-time Grammy-winner who penned such hits as “Tears in Heaven” and “Up Where We Belong” has died at 80.
Ron Galella, Ltd.
Will Jennings, the two-time Oscar and three-time Grammy-winning co-writer of Celine Dion’s Titanic hit, “My Heart Will Go On,” has died at 80, a rep confirmed to Variety. Jennings, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006, won an Oscar for the Dion song and another for the Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes hit “Up Where We Belong” from An Officer and a Gentleman. He also won multiple awards for writing “Tears in Heaven” with Eric Clapton. He also wrote Barry Manilow’s No. 1 song, “Looks Like We Made It,” “Higher Love” for Steve Winwood, “Didn’t We Almost Have it All” for Whitney Houston, and “Street Life” for The Crusaders. No cause of death was given, but Jennings had been ill for some time, Variety reported. His music catalog was acquired in 2023 for an estimated value between $60 million-$70 million, according to Billboard.
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