John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson

Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...

's The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...

. He also composed the score for Cutthroat Island

Cutthroat Island (soundtrack)

The score for the pirate film Cutthroat Island was composed by John Debney.The music was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, with choral contributions by the London Voices and was conducted by David Snell....

, which has been celebrated by music critics as a notable example of swashbuckling film music.
The son of Disney Studios producer Louis Debney (Zorro

Zorro

Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....

, The Mickey Mouse Club), John was born and raised in nearby Glendale, California

Glendale, California

Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...

, where he began guitar lessons at age six and played in rock bands in college.