Marvin Hamlisch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marvin Hamlisch |
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Hamlisch in the early 1970s
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marvin Frederick Hamlisch |
| Born | June 2, 1944 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 6, 2012 (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1965–2012 |
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (born June 2, 1944 – died August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. He wrote music for movies, Broadway shows, and even conducted orchestras. Marvin Hamlisch was one of only 18 people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award. This amazing achievement is called an "EGOT". He and composer Richard Rodgers are the only two people to have won all those awards plus a Pulitzer Prize, which is sometimes called a "PEGOT".
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Early Life
Marvin Hamlisch was born in Manhattan, New York City. His parents, Lilly and Max Hamlisch, were Jewish and came from Vienna. His father was an accordion player and led a band. Marvin was a very talented child. By the time he was five years old, he could play piano music he heard on the radio just by listening! A few months before his seventh birthday in 1951, he was accepted into the Juilliard School Pre-College Division, a famous music school. Some of his favorite musicals when he was growing up were My Fair Lady, Gypsy, West Side Story, and Bye Bye Birdie.
Career
Marvin Hamlisch studied at Queens College and earned his degree in 1967. His first job was playing piano for rehearsals of the musical Funny Girl, which starred Barbra Streisand. Soon after, a producer named Sam Spiegel hired him to play piano at parties. Later, Spiegel asked him to write the music for his 1968 movie The Swimmer.
Music for Films
Marvin Hamlisch wrote many famous songs and film scores. When he was a teenager, he wrote a song called "The Travelin' Life," which was included on Liza Minnelli's first album in 1964. His first big hit came when he was 21. It was a song called "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows", which he wrote with Howard Liebling. Lesley Gore recorded it, and it became a hit in 1965.
He also wrote music for early movies by director Woody Allen, like Take the Money and Run (1969) and Bananas (1971). Hamlisch and Howard Liebling also wrote "California Nights" for Lesley Gore. This song was a hit in 1967, after Gore sang it on the Batman TV show.
In the 1970s, Hamlisch became very well-known for his music in the movie The Sting. He used Scott Joplin's ragtime music, and the movie's theme song, "The Entertainer", became a huge hit. In 1973, he had amazing success, winning three Academy Awards in one night! He won for the title song and score of The Way We Were, and for the music in The Sting. He also won four Grammy Awards in 1974.
He co-wrote "Nobody Does It Better" for the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). In the 1980s, he wrote music for popular movies like Ordinary People (1980) and Sophie's Choice (1982). He also worked on the movie The Informant! (2009), starring Matt Damon. Before he passed away, he finished a children's book called Marvin Makes Music and the music for the film Behind the Candelabra (2013).
Stage Musicals
Marvin Hamlisch's first big stage work was in 1972. He played piano for the famous comedian Groucho Marx at Carnegie Hall. Hamlisch helped Marx tell stories and jokes about his career.
He then wrote the music for the 1975 Broadway musical A Chorus Line. This show was a huge success, and he won both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize for it! He also wrote the music for the 1978 musical They're Playing Our Song, which was based on his own relationship with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager.
Later, he wrote music for other musicals like Jean Seberg (1983), Smile (1986), and The Goodbye Girl (1993). Before he died, he finished writing the music for a musical version of the movie The Nutty Professor.
Conductor
Marvin Hamlisch was also a talented conductor. He was the musical director for Barbra Streisand's concert tour in 1994 and her TV special, Barbra Streisand: The Concert. He won two Emmys for this work. He also conducted many tours for singer Linda Ronstadt.
Hamlisch was the main conductor for several famous orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra Pops. He conducted his first concert for the Pasadena Symphony and Pops in 2011.
Honors and Awards
Marvin Hamlisch was one of only 17 people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. This special group of awards is known as an "EGOT". He is one of only two people (the other being Richard Rodgers) to win all four of those awards plus a Pulitzer Prize.
In 1974, Hamlisch made history by winning three Academy Awards in one night! He also won two Golden Globes for Best Original Song.
In 1976, he shared the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his music in A Chorus Line. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 at the World Soundtrack Awards. He was also added to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2008.
Personal Life
Marvin Hamlisch's relationship with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager was the inspiration for the musical They're Playing Our Song. In May 1989, Hamlisch married Terre Blair, a news anchor. Their marriage lasted until his death.
Death
Marvin Hamlisch passed away on August 6, 2012, in Los Angeles, at the age of 68. He had been briefly ill. The cause of his death was breathing problems, with high blood pressure and lack of oxygen to the brain being contributing factors.
Many famous people shared their sadness about his passing. Barbra Streisand said he had a "brilliantly quick mind, his generosity and delicious sense of humor." Aretha Franklin called him "classic and one of a kind." As a tribute, the lights of 40 Broadway theaters were dimmed for one minute on August 8, 2012, an honor given to people who made big contributions to theater.
A memorial service was held for him on September 18, 2012, where Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, and Liza Minnelli sang his songs. At the 2013 Academy Awards, Barbra Streisand sang "The Way We Were" in his memory.
Orchestral Work
Marvin Hamlisch was the main conductor for the Pittsburgh Pops orchestra from 1995 until he passed away.
He also composed a classical symphonic piece called Anatomy of Peace. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra performed it in 1991, and it was also played at Carnegie Hall in 1993. This work was inspired by a book called The Anatomy of Peace, which talked about the idea of a world government after World War II.
Images for kids
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Hamlisch in the early 1970s
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Hamlisch conducting
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Hamlisch at the piano, 2006
