Marvin Hamlisch
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Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch dies aged 68

Marvin Hamlisch, the Pulitzer-prize winning composer of A Chorus Line, has died at the age of 68.

One of only two people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony, he wrote over 40 film scores and was the principal pops conductor for six American symphony orchestras.

Hamlisch was born in New York and studied at the Julliard School of Music. He got an early break as a rehearsal pianist for Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand, with whom he would subsequently forge a career-long association, including penning the Oscar-winning score and title song for The Way We Were in 1973.

As well as A Chorus Line (for which he won the Pulitzer), his stage work included They're Playing Our Song, The Goodbye Girl and Sweet Smell of Success.

He composed more than 40 film scores, including his Oscar-winning adaptation of Scott Joplin's music for 1973 film The Sting, and collaborated with directors including Woody Allen and Steven Soderbergh.

A statement from his publicist said he was scheduled to fly to Nashville this week to see a production of his musical, The Nutty Professor.

He last appeared in the UK last year, performing concerts alongside Maria Friedman and Idina Menzel.

Speaking to Whatsonstage.com at the time he said: "A lot of the stuff that I do is funny ... For me, it really isn't that hard because I was born with a sense of humour. I think it's very important to try to be yourself on the stage, otherwise you can just go out and buy a CD of the music. I think an evening should be more than that."

A family spokesman said Hamlisch died on Monday (6 August 2012) following a brief illness, though further details haven’t been released.

- by Theo Bosanquet

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