Hans Zimmer, composer who has written scores for box office hits such as "The Lion King" and "The Dark Knight" was honored Wednesday by a dedication of star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame in downtown Los Angeles.

The Oscar winner dedicated his star -- the 2,426th -- to the late publicist Ronni Chasen, who was shot to death in Beverly Hills on Nov. 16.

"I would like to dedicate this star in loving memory to my mother and friend, the great Ronni Chasen," Zimmer said. "This would not have happened if Ronni hadn't kicked doors down with her very elegant shoes."

Zimmer said Chasen had helped advance his career in Hollywood and it was Chasen who had convinced him to accept the star on the Walk of Fame.

Director Christopher Nolan who collaborated with Zimmer on some of his projects including "Batman Begins" and "Inception," praised Zimmer's musical talents.

"To me, there is no composer working who has done more to define the sound of contemporary films," he said.

The dedication was held nine days before the scheduled release of romantic comedy "How Do You Know," for which Zimmer wrote the score.

In 1995, Zimmer won the best original score Oscar for "The Lion King." He also received nods for Academy Award for his scores for "Rain Man," "The Preacher's Wife," "As Good as It Gets," "The Prince of Egypt" "The Thin Red Line," "Gladiator" and "Sherlock Holmes."

Zimmer also won four Grammy Awards for his work on "The Lion King," "Crimson Tide" and "The Dark Knight." He is also the recipient of two Golden Globes and a Classical BRIT Award, an annual awards ceremony held in Britin.

Born Sept. 12, 1957 in Frankfurt, Germany, Zimmer has composed music for over 100 films for nearly three decades. His other film credits include "Driving Miss Daisy," "Thelma and Louise," "The Da Vinici Code," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, "Kung Fu Panda" and the animated superhero comedy film "Megamind."