Legendary Composer Marvin Hamlisch Dies at Age 68

Marvin Hamlisch, accomplished film and stage composer known for such memorable scores from The Way We Were and A Chorus Line, has died at age 68. The composer passed away on Monday in Los Angeles after collapsing from a brief illness, his family said in a statement.

Hamlisch was one of the most decorated composers in entertainment, having won almost every award under the sun. He received a Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for the Best Original Score Written for the Theatre, for A Chorus Line. He won three Oscars  for his original compositions for The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, and The Sting, directed by George Roy Hill, who is best known for the film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Add four Emmy’s, four Grammy’s and one Tony to Hamlisch’s name, and it’s safe to say the composer’s notable musical contributions have not gone unnoticed. Along with the late composer, Richard Rogers, they are the only two people to date to win all five of these awards.

In addition to the above, Hamlisch is responsible for composing dozen of scores for feature films including Ordinary People, which marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford, and Sophie’s Choice, which won Meryl Streep one of her many Academy Awards for Best Actress. His last and most recent feature film was The Informant, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon; he also co-wrote the ballad “Nobody Does It Better” for the 1977 James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Roger Moore. 

Hamlisch was a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and up until his death, he was the principal pops conductor for several symphony orchestras across the United States. He had worked with some of the biggest names and personalities in Hollywood and the theater, and his legacy will live on in the music that has touched thousands of lives around the globe.

Marvin Hamlisch believed in the power of music and it’s ability to unite people, as seen in his quote from his personal website, ”Music can make a difference. There is a global nature to music, which has the potential to bring all people together. Music is truly an international language, and I hope to contribute by widening communication as much as I can”.

R.I.P. Marvin Hamlisch (1944–2012)

Source: LA Times