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Marvin Hamlisch

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Marvin Hamlisch
Hamlisch in the early 1970s
Hamlisch in the early 1970s
Background information
Birth nameMarvin Frederick Hamlisch
Born(1944-06-02)June 2, 1944
New York City, U.S.
DiedAugust 6, 2012(2012-08-06)(aged 68)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Composer
  • conductor
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1965–2012
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m.1989)​
Websitemarvinhamlisch

Marvin Frederick Hamlisch(June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. He is one of a handful of people to winEmmy,Grammy,OscarandTonyawards, a feat dubbed the "EGOT".He and composerRichard Rodgersare the only people to have won those prizes and aPulitzer Prize( "PEGOT").[1]

Early life[edit]

Hamlisch was born inManhattan,toViennese-born Jewish parents Lilly (née Schachter) and Max Hamlisch.[2]His father was anaccordionistand bandleader. Hamlisch was achild prodigy;by age five, he began mimicking the piano music he heard on the radio. A few months before he turned seven, in 1951, he was accepted into what is now theJuilliard School Pre-College Division.[3]His favorite musicals growing up wereMy Fair Lady,Gypsy,West Side Story,andBye Bye Birdie.[4]

Career[edit]

Hamlisch attendedQueens College,earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967.[3]His first job was as a rehearsal pianist forFunny GirlwithBarbra Streisand.Even on tour he would take time to book Kenny Veenstra's Progressive Music Studio to send musical ideas back to "Babs" in NY. Shortly afterward, producerSam Spiegelhired him to play piano at parties, and later to score Spiegel's 1968 filmThe Swimmer.[3]

Music for films[edit]

Liza Minnelli's 1964debut albumincluded "The Travelin' Life", a song Hamlisch wrote in his teens (originally titled "Travelin' Man" ).[5]His first hit arrived when he was 21 years old: "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows",co-written with Howard Liebling and recorded byLesley Gore.It reached No. 13 on theBillboardHot 100in the summer of 1965.[6]

His first film score was for 1968'sThe Swimmer.[6]He also wrote music for several earlyWoody Allenfilms, includingTake the Money and Run(1969) andBananas(1971).

Hamlisch and Liebling co-wrote the song "California Nights",which was recorded byLesley Gorefor her 1967 hit album of the same name. TheBob Crewe-produced single peaked at No. 16 on theHot 100in March 1967, two months after Gore had performed the song on theBatmantelevision series, in which she guest-starred as an accomplice toJulie Newmar'sCatwoman.

Hamlisch, at age 29, holding two of the three Oscars he won in 1974. With him areDonald O'Connor,Debbie Reynolds,andCher.

Among Hamlisch's better-known works during the 1970s were adaptations ofScott Joplin'sragtimemusic for the motion pictureThe Sting,including its theme song, "The Entertainer".It hit No. 1 onBillboard's Adult Contemporary chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100, selling nearly 2 million copies in the U.S. alone. He had great success in 1973, winning twoAcademy Awardsfor thetitle songand the score for the motion pictureThe Way We Wereand an Academy Award for the adaptation score forThe Sting.[7]He won fourGrammy Awardsin 1974, two for "The Way We Were".

In 1975, he wrote the original theme music forGood Morning America;the show used it for 12 years. He co-wrote "Nobody Does It Better"forThe Spy Who Loved Me(1977) with his then-girlfriendCarole Bayer Sager,which would be nominated for an Oscar.[6]In the 1980s, he had success with the scores forOrdinary People(1980) andSophie's Choice(1982). He also received an Academy Award nomination in 1986 for the film version ofA Chorus Line.

In 1985, he worked onD.A.R.Y.L.,a 1985 film about a boy who is in fact a U.S. military robot. He also worked on the score forThe Informant!(2009), starringMatt Damonand directed bySteven Soderbergh.[6]Late in his life, he wrote a children's bookMarvin Makes Music,which included the original music "The Music in My Mind" with words by Rupert Holmes; and the score for theHBOfilmBehind the Candelabra(2013), also directed by Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon andMichael DouglasasLiberace.

Stage[edit]

Hamlisch's first major stage work was in 1972 playing piano forGroucho MarxatCarnegie HallforAn Evening with Groucho.Hamlisch acted as bothstraight manand accompanist while Marx, at age 81, reminisced about his career in show business.[8]The performances were released as a two-record set, and remained very popular.[9]

He then composed the scores for the 1975BroadwaymusicalA Chorus Line,for which he won both aTony Awardand aPulitzer Prize;and for the 1978 musicalThey're Playing Our Song,loosely based on his relationship withCarole Bayer Sager.[10]

At the beginning of the 1980s, his romantic relationship with Bayer Sager ended, but their songwriting relationship continued. The 1983 musicalJean Seberg,based on the life of the real-life actress, failed in its London production at the UK'sNational Theatreand never played in the U.S.[11]In 1986,Smilewas a mixed success and had a short run on Broadway.[6]The musical version of Neil Simon'sThe Goodbye Girl(1993) closed after only 188 performances, although he received aDrama Desknomination, for Outstanding Music.[12]

Shortly before his death, Hamlisch finished scoring a musical theatre version ofThe Nutty Professor,based on the 1963 film.[13]The show played in July and August 2012, at theTennessee Performing Arts Center(TPAC) inNashville,aiming for a Broadway run.[13][14][15]The book is byRupert Holmes,and the production was directed byJerry Lewis.[16][17]

Conductor[edit]

Hamlisch conducting

Hamlisch was musical director and arranger of Barbra Streisand's 1994 concert tour of the U.S. and England as well as of the television special,Barbra Streisand: The Concert,for which he received two of his Emmys. He also conducted several tours ofLinda Ronstadtduring this period, most notably on her successful 1996Dedicated to the One I Lovetour of arenas and stadiums.[18]

Hamlisch held the position of Principal Pops Conductor for thePittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,[19]theMilwaukee Symphony Orchestra,[20]theSan Diego Symphony,[21]theSeattle Symphony,[22]theDallas Symphony Orchestra,[23]Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra,[24]TheNational Symphony OrchestraPops,[25]The Pasadena Symphony and Pops,[26]and theBaltimore Symphony Orchestra.[27]

On July 23, 2011, Hamlisch conducted his debut concert forPasadena Symphony and PopsatThe Rose Bowlin Pasadena, California. Hamlisch replacedRachael Worby.[28]At the time of his death, he was preparing to assume responsibilities as Principal Pops Conductor for ThePhilly POPS.

Accolades[edit]

Main article:List of awards and nominations received by Marvin Hamlisch

Hamlisch is one of only few people to winEmmy,Grammy,OscarandTonyawards. This collection of all four is referred to as an "EGOT".He is one of only two people to have won those four prizes and aPulitzer Prize(the other beingRichard Rodgers).[29]He is one of ten people to win three or more Oscars in one night and the only one other than a director or screenwriter to do so. Hamlisch also won twoGolden Globes.He earned tenGolden Globe Awardnominations, winning twice forBest Original Song,with "Life Is What You Make It" in 1972 and "The Way We Were"in 1974.[30]

He shared the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1976 withMichael Bennett,James Kirkwood,Nicholas Dante,andEdward Klebanfor his musical contribution to the original Broadway production ofA Chorus Line.[6]Hamlisch received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 at the World Soundtrack Awards inGhent,Belgium. He was also inducted into theLong Island Music Hall of Famein 2008.[31]In 2008, he appeared as a judge in the Canadian reality seriesTriple Sensationwhich aired onCBC.The show was aimed to provide a trainingbursaryto a talented young man or woman with the potential to be a leader in song, dance, and acting.[32][33]In 2008, Hamlisch was also inducted into theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame.[34]

Personal life[edit]

Hamlisch's relationship with lyricistCarole Bayer Sagerinspired the musicalThey're Playing Our Song.[35]He was also in a relationship with actressEmma Samms.[36][failed verification]He was in a relationship with television personalityCyndy Garveyafter her breakup with her husband,Steve Garvey.[37]

In May 1989, Hamlisch marriedTerre Blair,a native ofColumbus, Ohio,and graduate of Otterbein College, who was theweather and news anchorfor that city's ABC affiliate,WSYX-Channel 6.[38][39][40]The marriage lasted until his death.[41]

Death[edit]

After a brief illness, Hamlisch collapsed in Los Angeles on August 6, 2012, and died later that day atRonald Reagan UCLA Medical Centerat age 68.[42][43]According to Hamlisch's death certificate, the cause of death was determined to berespiratory arrest,withhypertensionandcerebral hypoxiaas contributing factors.[43][44]

TheAssociated Pressdescribed him as having written "some of the best-loved and most enduring songs and scores in movie history".[45]Barbra Streisand released a statement praising Hamlisch, stating it was "his brilliantly quick mind, his generosity and delicious sense of humor that made him a delight to be around".[6]Aretha Franklincalled him "classic and one of a kind", and one of the "all-time great" arrangers and producers.[46]The head of thePasadena Symphony and Popscommented that Hamlisch had "left a very specific... original mark on American music and added to the great American songbook with works he himself composed".[5]

At 8:00 p.m.EDTon August 8, the marquee lights of the 40 Broadway theaters were dimmed for one minute in tribute to Hamlisch,[47][48]an honor traditionally accorded to those considered to have made significant contributions to the theater arts upon their death.[49][50][51]

Barbra Streisand,Aretha Franklin,andLiza Minnellitook turns singing songs by Hamlisch during a memorial service for the composer on September 18, 2012.[52]At the2013 Academy Awards,Streisand sang "The Way We Were"in Hamlisch's memory. On June 2, 2013, a tribute was held in New York City to remember Hamlisch in advance of the first anniversary of his death.[53]At the tribute, Staples Players, a high school theatre group fromStaples High SchoolinWestport, Connecticutperformed a selection of material fromA Chorus Line.Other veterans of the screen and stage also performed at the event.[54]

Work[edit]

Orchestral work[edit]

Hamlisch at the piano, 2006

Hamlisch was the primary conductor for the Pittsburgh Pops from 1995 until his death.[55]

TheDallas Symphony Orchestraperformed a rare Hamlisch classical symphonic suite titledAnatomy of Peace(Symphonic Suite in one Movement For Full Orchestra/Chorus/Child Vocal Soloist) on November 19, 1991.[56]It was also performed at Carnegie Hall in 1993,[35]and in Paris in 1994 to commemorateD-Day.[57]The work was recorded by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1992.[58]The Anatomy of Peacewas a book byEmery Reveswhich expressed theworld-federalistsentiments shared byAlbert Einsteinand many others in the late 1940s, in the period immediately followingWorld War II.[59]

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role(s) Notes
1973 Seesaw Dance Arrangements
1975 A Chorus Line Music by Pulitzer Prize for Drama&Tony Award for Best Score
1978 They're Playing Our Song Music by
1983 Jean Seberg Music by
1986 Smile Music by
1993 The Goodbye Girl Music by
2002 Sweet Smell of Success Music by
2002 Imaginary Friends Music by
2012 The Nutty Professor Music by

Film[edit]

Title Year Role(s) Notes
1968 The Swimmer
1969 Take the Money and Run
1969 The April Fools
1970 Move
1970 Flap
1971 Something Big
1971 Kotch
1971 Bananas
1972 The War Between Men and Women
1973 The World's Greatest Athlete
1973 Save the Tiger
1973 The Way We Were
1973 The Sting
1975 The Prisoner of Second Avenue
1977 The Spy Who Loved Me
1977 The Absent-Minded Waiter
1978 Same Time, Next Year
1978 Ice Castles
1979 Starting Over
1979 Chapter Two
1980 Seems Like Old Times
1980 Ordinary People
1980 Gilda Live
1982 Sophie's Choice
1982 I Ought to Be in Pictures
1983 Romantic Comedy
1984 A Streetcar Named Desire
1985 D.A.R.Y.L.
1985 A Chorus Line
1987 When the Time Comes
1988 Sam Found Out: A Triple Play
1988 Little Nikita
1988 David
1989 The January Man
1989 Shirley Valentine
1989 The Experts
1990 Women and Men: Stories of Seduction
1991 Switched at Birth
1991 Missing Pieces
1991 Frankie and Johnny
1994 Seasons of the Heart
1996 The Mirror Has Two Faces
2003 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2009 The Informant!
2013 Behind the Candelabra

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Renzulli, Kerri Anne (February 21, 2019)."These fifteen people have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony–here's who could achieve EGOT status next".CNBC.Retrieved2020-05-02.
  2. ^"Marvin Hamlisch Biography (1944- )".Filmreference.RetrievedNovember 25,2008.
  3. ^abc"Marvin Hamlisch biography".Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  4. ^Cerasaro, Pat (July 22, 2010)."InDepth Interview Marvin Hamlisch".BroadwayWorld.
  5. ^abWoo, Elaine."Marvin Hamlisch dies at 68; award-winning composer of popular music".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved9 December2013.
  6. ^abcdefgHoerburger, Rob (August 7, 2012)."Marvin Hamlisch, Whose Notes Struck Gold, Dies at 68".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 8,2012.
  7. ^"Academy Awards Database: 1973 music category winners".Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2013.RetrievedDecember 18,2012.
  8. ^"Author Michael Levin Remembers Marvin Hamlisch".AntiMusic.August 7, 2012.RetrievedAugust 9,2012.
  9. ^"Timbuctoo".An Evening With Groucho Marx.RetrievedDecember 14,2020.
  10. ^"Accounts".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-04-21.
  11. ^"Hamlisch biography.Broadway:The American Musical"PBS, retrieved August 18, 2011.
  12. ^"The Goodbye Girl",IMDb,retrieved August 18, 2011.
  13. ^abEllis, Jeffrey (August 7, 2012)."The Nutty ProfessorCompany Members Pay Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch ".BroadwayWorld.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  14. ^Ridley, Jim."The Nutty Professorat TPAC ".Nashville Scene.Archived fromthe originalon October 10, 2012.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  15. ^Ng, David (August 8, 2012)."Without Marvin Hamlisch, some uncertainty for 'Nutty Professor'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  16. ^Jones, Kenneth (August 17, 2012)."Producers ofNutty ProfessorHope to Earn Broadway Tenure for New Marvin Hamlisch-Rupert Holmes Show "Archived2012-08-19 at theWayback Machine.Playbill.Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  17. ^Ng, David (August 2, 2012)."Jerry Lewis' 'Nutty Professor' musical opens in Nashville".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 18,2013.
  18. ^Janairo, Michael (August 7, 2012)."Remembering Marvin Hamlisch".Times Union.Albany, NY.RetrievedDecember 15,2020.
  19. ^"Conductors: Marvin Hamlisch".Pittsburgh Symphony. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  20. ^"Marvin Plays Marvin".ArchivedApril 30, 2011, at theWayback Machine.Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  21. ^"Musicians and Conductors"ArchivedAugust 14, 2012, at theWayback Machine.San Diego Symphony. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  22. ^"Holiday POPS! with Marvin Hamlisch"ArchivedMay 6, 2009, at theWayback MachineSeattle Symphony, Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  23. ^"Conductors"Archived2011-06-09 at theWayback Machine.Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  24. ^Goldman, Mary Kunz (August 8, 2012)."City mourns Marvin? Hamlisch, dead at 68 Acclaimed composer felt at home in Buffalo".The Buffalo News.RetrievedDecember 15,2020.
  25. ^"Marvin Hamlisch".The Kennedy Center.August 8, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon October 9, 2012.
  26. ^Ng, David (August 27, 2010)."Marvin Hamlisch named conductor of the Pasadena Pops".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMarch 26,2012.
  27. ^"Marvin Hamlisch: Composer, conductor, Yankees fan?".Baltimore Sun.August 10, 2012.RetrievedJune 2,2021.
  28. ^Haithman, Diane (August 5, 2011)."Pasadena Pops' Marvin Hamlisch just wants to have fun".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedFebruary 17,2019.
  29. ^"Tony Legacy, They're the Top"Archived2003-06-09 at theWayback Machine.Tony Awards.Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  30. ^"Marvin Hamlisch Golden Globes Awards"Archived2009-12-15 at theWayback Machine.Golden Globes.Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  31. ^"The Long Island Music Hall of Fame Second Induction Award Gala on October 30 at the Garden City Hotel"Archived2010-11-30 at theWayback Machine.Long Island Music Hall of Fame.Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  32. ^"Full cast and crew for 'Triple Sensation'".IMDb.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  33. ^Ouzounian, Richard (August 8, 2012)."Marvin Hamlisch, composer for 'The Sting' and 'A Chorus Line', dies in L.A."Toronto Star.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  34. ^Rawson, Christopher (January 28, 2009)."Lane, Hamlisch among Theater Hall of Fame inductees".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.RetrievedDecember 15,2020.
  35. ^abKlein, Alvin (August 22, 1993)."A New Approach for Marvin Hamlisch",The New York Times.
  36. ^"Dynasty star Emma Samms on her TV comeback".9 August 2014.
  37. ^Kim Masters (1989-07-14)."CYNDY GARVEY'S TURN AT BAT".The Washington Post.Washington, D.C.ISSN0190-8286.OCLC1330888409.
  38. ^"Marvin Hamlisch to Marry Ms. Blair, Producer, in May",The New York Times.March 19, 1989.
  39. ^"People Are Talking About..."Jet.Johnson Publishing Company. June 19, 1989.
  40. ^Laufenberg, Norbert B.Hamlisch, MarvinEntertainment Celebrities.Trafford Publishing. (2005) p. 285.ISBN978-1412053358.
  41. ^"Marvin Hamlisch".The Daily Telegraph.London. August 8, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-01-12.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  42. ^Hoerburger, Rob (August 7, 2012)."Marvin Hamlisch, Whose Notes Struck Gold, Dies at 68".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 17,2019.
  43. ^ab"Composer Marvin Hamlisch Died of Lung Failure".TMZ.August 17, 2012.RetrievedMarch 11,2022.
  44. ^Tipping, Joy (August 17, 2012)."Marvin Hamlisch died of lung failure, according to death certificate".The Dallas Morning News.RetrievedMarch 11,2022.
  45. ^"Marvin Hamlisch left his signature on decades of films".Boston Herald.Associated Press. August 8, 2012.RetrievedAugust 8,2012.
  46. ^"Marvin Hamlisch, composer for Broadway and the screen, dies aged 68".The Guardian.London. Associated Press. August 7, 2012.
  47. ^Ariosto, David (August 7, 2012)."Broadway to dim in honor of composer Marvin Hamlisch; dead at 68".CNN.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  48. ^Levine, Daniel S. (August 8, 2012)."Broadway to dim lights in tribute to the late composer Marvin Hamlisch".The Celebrity Cafe.Archived fromthe originalon June 4, 2013.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  49. ^Cody, Gabrielle H. (2007)."Shaw, George Bernard".Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama, Volume 2.Columbia University Press.p. 1227.ISBN978-0231144247.RetrievedAugust 11,2012– via Google Books.
  50. ^Bloom, Ken(November 11, 2003)."Hammerstein, Oscar, II".Broadway: An Encyclopedia.Taylor & Francis. p. 212.ISBN978-0203644355.RetrievedAugust 11,2012– via Google Books.
  51. ^Gussow, Mel(May 23, 2000)."Sir John Gielgud, 96, Dies; Beacon of Classical Stage".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 11,2012.
  52. ^Kennedy, Mark."Streisand, Minnelli Sing for Marvin Hamlisch in NY".Associated Press.RetrievedSeptember 19,2012.
  53. ^"Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch - Recent Tributes & Production of his Musicals. THANKS!".Marvin Hamlisch.RetrievedDecember 15,2020.
  54. ^"Staples Players Will Be a Part of 6/2 Marvin Hamlisch Tribute in NYC".BroadwayWorld.Retrieved2019-11-08.
  55. ^"Marvin Hamlisch".Pittsburgh Music History.Archived fromthe originalon September 11, 2015.RetrievedDecember 15,2020.
  56. ^Brozan, Nadine (November 19, 1991)."Chronicle",The New York Times.
  57. ^Croan, Robert (May 30, 1994)."Hamlisch Symphony".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.p. 19.
  58. ^"Dallas Symphony Orchestra Discography"Archived2011-06-09 at theWayback Machine.Dallas Symphony. p. 4, Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  59. ^Reves, Emery (1945).The Anatomy of Peace(1 ed.). New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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