Paul Buckmaster, arranger for Bowie, Elton John, dead at 71

NEW YORK (AP) - Grammy winner Paul Buckmaster, who arranged and orchestrated some of the best-known songs of David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and Elton John among others in a career that spanned a half-century, has died. He was 71.

His assistant, Diana Post, says Buckmaster died on Nov. 7 in Los Angeles. She didn't mention the cause of his death.

Born in London, Buckmaster was known for punchy string arrangements that added emotional power to rock classics such as the Stones' "Moonlight Mile" and Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." His credits also include Bowie's "Space Oddity," a 1972 album for Miles Davis, Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" and music for Guns N' Roses and Taylor Swift. He won a 2002 Grammy Award for his arrangement work on Train's "Drops of Jupiter."