Legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone announced Thursday that he would need to postpone two Los Angeles events due to back surgery. The composer, best known for his work with Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns such as "Fistful of Dollars" and "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," was scheduled to sit down for an interview with director Quentin Tarantino on March 18 and conduct a 200-member orchestra on March 20.
The good news is that the events already have a rescheduled date in June.
"It saddens me deeply to have to postpone this concert. I am very much looking forward to my first Los Angeles performance," he said in a statement. "Hollywood has been instrumental in bringing my work to American audiences, and my 2007 performance in New York was one of the high points of my career to date. I'm grateful and sorry to my fans for having to delay this show. I look forward to seeing you in June."
Morricone is 85, so the fact that he's still willing to take the stand at all makes us likely to allow him a sick day. The conductor underwent a surgery to repair a slipped disc, and his doctor recommended he not travel long distances for a while.
Morricone has impressed everyone from the Academy for Motion Pictures to Metallica with his film scores, including "The Ecstasy of Gold." Although largely known for his Western work, the composer has scored more than 450 films in his lifetime, winning an Oscar, four Grammys and a boatload of other awards along the way. His most recent achievement was earning the 2013 European Film Award for Best Original Score for his work in The Best Offer.
