Joel Sill

Joel Sill (November 24, 1946 – August 23, 2025) was an American music supervisor, music producer and consultant, known for his work on the films Forrest Gump, Cast Away and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, The Goonies, Blade Runner, The Color Purple, and My Cousin Vinny.

Joel Sill was born in Santa Monica, California, on November 24, 1946, to Lester Sill, a record label executive, and his wife, Harriet; of three brothers, Chuck Kaye (half brother), Greg and Lonnie Sill. Only Lonnie is surviving. Both were music supervisors. Chuck Kaye was a revered music publisher.

Sill graduated in 1964 from Grant High School, and received an Associate of Arts degree from Los Angeles Pierce College in 1974.

Sill's wife, Kimberly Sill, started and runs Shelter Hope Pet Shop, a humane pet shop. She has adopted over 16,000 dogs to new homes. She also directed the documentary film Saved in America, co-produced with Sill.

Sill died on August 23, 2025, at the age of 78, after battling pulmonary fibrosis.

Sill's first job in the music industry was for the Big Three Music Publishing Company aka Robbins, Feist and Miller, which he joined in 1967. From 1968 to 1969, Sill worked for Irving Almo Music (A&M Records publishing company) and in 1969 went on to work for Dunhill Records producing his first soundtrack for the film Easy Rider.

In 1972, Sill was hired by Clive Davis of Columbia Records as a producer. In 1975, Sill returned to work for Irving Almo Music where he stayed until he was offered a position at Paramount Pictures in 1980 as the vice president of music, overseeing and designing music for films, including An Officer and a Gentleman and Flashdance. Theme songs from both films – "Up Where We Belong" and "Flashdance... What a Feeling" went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

In 1984, Sill became vice president of music for Warner Bros. Films for all filmed entertainment. At Warner, Sill oversaw the music for films such as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,The Killing Fields, Blade Runner, Purple Rain, The Color Purple, and first introduced Madonna's music to film in Vision Quest with the song "Crazy for You".

In 1987, Sill partnered with director Taylor Hackford in the New Visions Music Group, where he supervised music for the film Mannequin, which included a number-one hit song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"; as well as the film La Bamba, which produced the number-one single "La Bamba", the five‐time multi-platinum soundtrack album by Los Lobos.

In 1989, and for the next ten years, Sill partnered with his half brother, Chuck Kaye, who was previously the chairman of Warner Chappell Music, to form Windswept Pacific a joint venture with Pacific Music of Fuji Sankei Communications. They purchased the Big 7 music publishing catalog from Morris Levy which included the music from over 100 gold records. During this time, Sill supervised the music for the films The Fabulous Baker Boys,The Firm, Twister, Forrest Gump (8 x multiplatinum), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Contact, Castaway and Munich.

In 2002, Nigel Sinclair hired Sill and Bill Curbishley, former manager of The Who and Jimi Hendrix to start Intermedia Films Music Group. They had offices in Los Angeles and London and produced the soundtracks for K19: The Widowmaker, Adaptation, and Mariah Carey's Wise Girls. From 2004 to 2012, Sill formed a joint venture with Cherry Lane/BMG Music. Cherry Lane was founded in 1960 by renowned producer/arranger Milt Okun, who oversaw an extensive catalog of songs from Elvis Presley, John Denver, Quincy Jones and Ashford & Simpson, Black Eyed Peas and John Legend.

During the mid-1970s, Sill became a published underwater photographer represented by Jacques Cousteau's Living Sea Corporation. He remained an active scuba diver, photographer, and advocate for the oceans. He was working as an Ambassador for AltaSea, an ocean preservation and education non-profit in San Pedro, California.

• 2019 Legacy Award – Winner – The Guild of Music Supervisors Awards
• 1992 Film Independent Spirit Award – Nominee – Best Film Music – Hangin' with the Homeboys