The Usual Suspects
Gio Washington-Wright's L.A. Studio Musicians Tribute Site

Photo Credit: Dan Goldwasser / scoringsessions.com
John, whose brother (a veteran bass trombonist with the L.A. Philharmonic), and mother encouraged him to take up the instrument at age 10. He had no intention of being a professional musician, however. His original love was repairing motorcycles, and, although his business was doing okay, he realized he had gone about as far as he could. So, he attended California State University-Northridge and started taking the French horn more seriously.
It turned out to be a good move, as he found himself working with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. One of his early recitals with members of the Philharmonic took place at Cal State Northridge on 21st July 1986. They performed Ludwig van Beethovens Duo in E flat, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts Oboe Quartet and Thomas Weelkes Centone No. VI.
In 1987, he joined
the Pacific Symphony Orchestra as their associate principal horn player,
and graduated to principal in 1995.
He and trumpeter Burnette Dillon were front and center when the Pacific Symphony took the stage at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on 24th August 1996. They each got a solo turn with concerti by Richard Strauss and Giuseppe Tartini. The Classical Brass concert was rounded out by music of Giovanni Gabrieli, Ottorino Respighi, and Dmitri Shostakovich.
His discography is considerable, and here are but a few highlights: Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose by Meat Loaf; Call Me Irresponsible by Michael Buble; Cool Yule by Bette Midler; Desde el Fondo de Mi Alma by Raphael; The Forest by David Byrne; Hero by Kirk Franklin; Highway Rider by Brad Mehldau; A Romantic Christmas by John Tesh; Serenada Schizophrana by Danny Elfman; To See You by Harry Connick, Jr.; and, Trumpet of the Swan by Jason Robert Brown.
Soundtracks on
which he appears include Antwone Fisher,
Beyond Borders, Dreamcatcher,
The Express, Flags of our Fathers, Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade, Jeepers
Creepers 2, The Legend of Zorro,
Man on the Moon, The Notebook, Peter Pan, Robots, Signs, Terminator 3: Rise of
the Machines, The Village, War of the Worlds, and X-Men 2.
On the small screen, he can be heard on the scores of Alias and In the Realms of the Unreal.
Gamers may have heard him without knowing it whilst fighting baddies in Spider-Man 2: The Game.2008 Pineapple Express French Horn
2008 WALL-E [Original Score] Thomas Newman French Horn
2007 Blades of Glory [Original Motion Picture Score] Theodore Shapiro Horn
2007 Call Me Irresponsible Michael Bublé French Horn
2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Horn
2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2007 Soundtrack] Horn
2006 X2: X-Men United [Original Motion Picture Score] John Ottman French Horn
2006 The World's Fastest Indian [Music from the Motion Picture] J. Peter Robinson French Horn
2006 American Dreamz Stephen Trask French Horn
2006 Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose Meat Loaf French Horn
2005 Constantine [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Brian Tyler Horn
2005 Dreamer [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] John Debney Horn
2005 Elektra [Original Motion Picture Score] Christophe Beck Horn
2005 Fantastic 4 [Original Motion Picture Score] John Ottman French Horn
2005 Isn't It Romantic: The Standards Album Johnny Mathis French Horn
2005 Robots [Original Score] John Powell Horn
2005 The Legend of Zorro [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] James Horner Horn
2005 War of the Worlds [Music from the Motion Picture] Horn
2004 Alias: Season Two [Original Television Soundtrack] Michael Giacchino French Horn
2004 Day After Tomorrow Harald Kloser Horn
2004 Hidalgo (Music Composed by James Newton Howard James Newton Howard Horn
2004 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Horn
2004 Surviving Christmas [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Randy Edelman Horn
2004 The Bourne Supremacy [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] John Powell Horn
2003 Alias [Original Television Soundtrack] Michael Giacchino French Horn
2003 The Rundown [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Harry Gregson-Williams Horn
2002 Antwone Fisher Mychael Danna Horn
2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Horn
1992 Grand Canyon [Original Soundtrack] James Newton Howard French Horn