The 100 Greatest Brooklynites of All Time: 90 to 81
This film and television composer, known for his haunting melodies and dreamy orchestrations, wasn’t just born in Brooklyn—he also taught music in Dyker Heights for five years while writing songs, orchestrating, and playing piano on the side, prior to his big break in 1986. That’s when David Lynch hired him to be Isabella Rossellini’s vocal coach for Blue Velvet. He ended up writing the music for the movie, too—around the time he also scored the best Nightmare on Elm Street sequel, part three—beginning a long and fruitful working relationship with Lynch that would include Twin Peaks and bring Badalamenti (currently with 77 IMDb credits plus two awesome Julee Cruise albums and more on his resume) much of his renown.