Long established as a popular composer of motion picture soundtracks, Broadway scores and pop hits, Marvin Hamlisch was equally at home on stage, or in guest appearances with some of the greatest symphony orchestras in this country and in Europe.
A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and Queens College, Marvin Hamlisch was born in New York City on June 2, 1944 and began composing at the age of eight. At the age of 16, he had his first hit, "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows". Simultaneously, Marvin was also composing for a high school classmate named Liza Minnelli. Learning that the legendary producer Sam Spiegel was searching for a composer for his newest film, "The Producer," Marvin handed Spiegel a theme song within three days.
It was in 1974 that Marvin Hamlisch vaulted to national recognition when, in one evening, he received three Academy Awards for his work on two hit motion pictures: The Sting and The Way We Were, (immortalized by Barbra Streisand). Among his many Hollywood credits are scores for the films "The Spy Who Loved Me,” “Sophie's Choice,” “Ordinary People," "Save the Tiger," “Take the Money and Run," and "Ice Castles." On television, his credits include the theme for ABC's "Good Morning, America."
On Broadway, his achievements are equally spectacular. His very first Broadway score was A Chorus Line, and became one of the longest running Broadway show in history. In 1979, he collaborated with Neil Simon and Carole Bayer Sager on They're Playing Our Song, and in the late 1980’s he produced “Smile”.
Hamlisch has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony for his score of "A Chorus Line," three Grammy Awards, and the Golden Globe. In 1992 an autobiography entitled “The Way I Was” was published and became a bestseller. Currently, Hamlisch continues to compose and arrange for the greatest talents in the world. He lives in New York City with his wife Terre.
Wrote "The Way We Were" and Broadway's "A Chorus Line"
