Sheridon Stokes, a flutist, UCLA instructor, composer and ubiquitous studio musician whose career spanned six decades died July 4. He was 87.

Stokes’ was a beloved UCLA faculty member for nearly 45 years and an anchor of the music performance wing of the music department before it became the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

“Sheridon’s career is inseparable from Los Angeles,” said Neal Stulberg, director of orchestral studies at the school of music. “He had a connection to its golden age that was lifelong.”

During his renowned career, Stokes played on the soundtracks of some of Hollywood's most iconic films including: “Jaws,” “E.T.,” and on Celine Dion’s “Titanic” anthem “My Heart Will Go On.”

“When I was growing up all of us young flutists wanted to show our hipness by playing the latest TV theme songs that featured flute, like ‘Mission Impossible,’” said Cheryl Keyes, professor of ethnomusicology and chair of African American studies. Keyes was imitating Stokes, but she didn’t know it at the time.

Read the full obituary for Sheridon Stokes.