Charles Strouse, Tony award-winning composer of Annie, dies aged 96
The composer Charles Strouse, a three-time Tony award-winner whose hits included Annie, has died at the age of 96. His death at home in New York on Thursday was announced by his four children.
Over the course of a long and illustrious career, Strouse composed music for the Broadway shows Bye Bye Birdie, Golden Boy, Applause, Rags and Nick & Nora. But he was perhaps best known for his score for Annie which opened in New York in 1977 and ran for almost six years. The story of the plucky red-headed orphan featured evergreen songs (with lyrics by Martin Charnin) including Tomorrow, You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile and It's the Hard-Knock Life, which was sampled by Jay-Z in a 1998 single. Annie received seven Tony awards, including best musical and best original score, and won the Grammy for best cast show album. It was adapted as a film in 1982.
Strouse's other Tony award-winners were the 1960 comedy Bye Bye Birdie and 1970's Applause (based on the film All About Eve); both shows had lyrics by his regular collaborator Lee Adams. In 1996, the pair won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics for the song Let's Settle Down from a TV film adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, which follows a rock'n'roll singer drafted into the army. Strouse was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. He also worked in film, incorporating banjos into the score for Bonnie and Clyde, and television, writing the theme music for the long-running sitcom All in the Family. Pop songs (including the hit Born Too Late written with Fred Tobias), revues, opera, chamber music and a range of classical pieces were also composed by the industrious and prolific Strouse. His Concerto America was written to commemorate the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Born on 7 June 1928, he grew up in New York and graduated from its Eastman School of Music in 1947. He later studied under Aaron Copland and Nadia Boulanger. In 1964 he married the dancer and choreographer Barbara Siman; they were married for almost 60 years until her death in 2023. His children, Benjamin, Nicholas, Victoria and William, survive him.
Strouse reflected on his career in the 2008 memoir Put on a Happy Face, named after one of his songs for Bye Bye Birdie. 'The way a fine tailor feels about his material, I feel about musical notes,' he said the following year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Jessica Alba shows off her toned and tanned physique in a patterned bikini as she enjoys sun-soaked getaway to focus on 'friendship and selfcare'
She is never shy showing off her physique when on her many holidays. And Jessica Alba was flaunting her toned and tanned physique as she enjoyed her latest sun-soaked getaway this weekend. The actress, 44, slipped into a skimpy white and beige patterned two piece as she flashed a peace sign by the pool. Jessica had her abs and toned legs on display as she accessorised with a sunhat and shades while another shot showed her cooling off in the pool. After her divorce from Cash Warren, she penned in the caption of her post: 'Channeling chill - breathwork - friendship and selfcare.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the In her slew of snaps she also posed in a strapless leopard print swimsuit while spending time at a luxury spa where they were staying. Her holiday comes after she was recently spotted kissing and cozying up to a new mystery man just weeks after her divorce from Cash Warren. But recently an insider has shed light into Jessica 's life back on the market. While she seemed to have a potential new beau in London, a source insisted to Us Weekly that Jessica isn't dating anyone in particular at the moment and is merely 'embracing' the attention coming her way. '[Jessica has] gone on dates, but she isn't seeing anyone specific right now,' the source said. 'She's having a lot of fun going out with her girlfriends and being more spontaneous. She's embracing all the attention she's getting,' they added. Indeed, Jessica seems to be living it up now that she is single again. Her Instagram account shows her traveling to numerous destinations where bathing suits are a must, and she even celebrated her birthday with her gal pals in Las Vegas. 'A vegas birthday was not in the cards, but a time was definitely had,' Jessica mused on Instagram as she shared snaps from her travels to Sin City in early May. 'Grateful for the women who have been by my side through every season with nothing but love & support. No matter where we are in the world, we have the best time when we're together - te amo.' The post even included the L.E. Bowman poem 'A New Kind of Sexy', a telling clue of her post-divorce attitude. While Jessica may be an independent woman, she has had some company in recent weeks. Earlier this month Alba was spotted enjoying a very cosy-looking stroll with a man in London's Regent's Park. An onlooker told The Sun that the pair could be seen kissing on deckchairs and embracing as they strolled through the park. They said: 'They looked very intimate. They were hugging and holding hands as they walked through the park together. 'They rented out some deck chairs and they were sitting on them kissing. 'It looked very much like a new relationship.' Jessica cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reasoning behind her separation from Cash when it was announced earlier this year, with him soon filing afterwards. During the course of their marriage, the former couple welcomed three children: Honor, 16, Haven, 13, and Hayes, seven - and both have requested for joint physical and legal custody of their kids. Eight months before it was revealed that Jessica and Cash were 'set for divorce,' the Hollywood star uploaded her final anniversary post to celebrate 16 years of marriage. At the time, Alba shared an assortment of images to her main Instagram page of the pair from over the years. She also penned a cryptic caption to accompany the snaps while reflecting on how they have gone through 'thick and thin.' '16 years of marriage, 20 years together and forever to go… Happy Anniversary @cashwarren,' the mother-of-three began. 'I'm proud of us for making it this far. There is no real set of rules or guidance that can ever prepare you for what it means to commit to another person and choose to be family.' The Honey star concluded with, 'Through thick and thin we have continually found our way back to each other and have chosen one another. Cheers to us, I love you.'
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Alex Jones rushes daughter to hospital AGAIN as she suffers a fall just weeks after breaking elbow
Alex had a parenting nightmare a few weeks ago after playtime turning into a painful accident for Annie A&E DASH Alex Jones rushes daughter to hospital AGAIN as she suffers a fall just weeks after breaking elbow Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ALEX Jones has rushed her daughter to hospital again, after she suffered a fall just weeks after breaking her elbow. The TV star's youngest daughter Annie had a fall, which comes just weeks after another health woe for the toddler. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Alex Jones has rushed her daughter to hospital again, after she suffered a fall just weeks after breaking her elbow Credit: Splash 4 The presenter shared a photo from the hospital Credit: Instagram 4 Alex with youngest daughter Annie Credit: Instagram Posting from hospital, The One Show host wrote: 'My view. Poor Annie has had a fall. 'Nothing serious but she is wiped out bless her after a very long day.' The view shared by Alex was that of a hospital, as she sat with her youngster on the bed. She was rushed to hospital recently, after playtime led to a painful injury - and a parenting nightmare for the star. Read More on Alex Jones OOPS! Awkward moment Alex Jones apologises to David Tennant after she drops huge spoiler Speaking on the Binge! podcast with co-host Harry Judd, Alex explained that her kids - Teddy, six, Kit, four, and Annie, two - had been re-enacting the Gladiators. 'They got on an arm each, clashed in the middle, and somehow Kit fell against Annie's elbow,' she said. Adding: 'And you know when you just know, because the cry is different?" The 48-year-old said Annie had suffered a clean break at the elbow at the time. 4 Alex Jones has three children - Teddy, six, Kit, four, and Annie, two Credit: Instagram
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Aaron Taylor-Johnson smoulders as he flashes a glimpse of his hairy chest in an open shirt alongside Jodie Comer and director Danny Boyle at 28 Years Later event in NYC
Aaron Taylor-Johnson joined co-star Jodie Comer and director Danny Boyle at an event for their new zombie movie 28 Years Later in New York on Sunday. The British actor, 34, who sported a bushy beard, smouldered as he flashed a glimpse of his hairy chest in an open shirt while taking to the red carpet. Aaron cut a stylish figure in beige ensemble and teamed the shirt with a matching sports jacket, trousers and suede shoes. He completed with a gold necklace and flashy Omega watch, after signing a deal with the brand which provide timepieces to the James Bond franchise - in what fans believes was a hint he would soon be announced as the new 007. Meanwhile Jodie, 32, was the epitome of chic in a flowing black blouse which was worn with bell bottoms and pointed heels. DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The much-anticipated release of 28 Years Later is just weeks away, with fans left waiting two decades to discover the next instalment in the film series. And with the nation devastated by the Rage virus nearly three decades ago, this new film - released June 19 - will show insight into the vastly different ways humanity has adapted to survive. For one such community, this means complete isolation from the outside world, and in a new clip ahead of the film's premiere, star Aaron shares insight into this new addition to the 28 Days Later universe for the first time. In this new land, known as The Holy Island, humans are entirely self-sufficient, and only leave the community to hunt on the mainland, when the tide is low. Aaron plays Jamie a scavenger who is tasked with training his Spike to survive in the wilderness, before they embark on a deadly mission to the mainland. In an exclusive featurette, Aaron offers a glimpse at this new Holy Island, explaining: 'My character is part of this community that survived 20-odd years because they live on the Holy Island, disconnected from the mainland. 'They don't have doctors or medicine, can only eat what they can grow, they can go hunt, but they have to go hunt on the mainland.' 'And we have rules, if you leave the island and you don't return, there's no one going out to look for you, they're going to assume you've been infected and you're dead.' Aaron then explains that for his character's son, it's a 'rite of passage' to learn his father's hunting skills, in the hope that they can survive when they leave the island. The film is set on the real-life island of Lindisfarne, which is only accessible through a causeway during low tide. Jodie Comer also stars in the film as Jamie's wife Isla, while Ralph Fiennes plays Dr. Kelson, a survivor of the outbreak. The original film 28 Days Later starred Cillian as a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma to discover the accidental release of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus has caused the breakdown of society. But despite frenzied speculation that he would be reprising his role in this sequel, when the trailer came out in December, with one character appearing to resemble a zombified form of Cillian's character Jim from the first film. However, this theory was quickly shut down when a London art dealer and model revealed he was the one playing the zombie character. Danny has since teased that viewers may get to see Cillian, 48, return after all, in one of the later films in the trilogy. Speaking during Sony's presentation at 2025 CinemaCon, the filmmaker hinted: 'Like all good things in life, you may have to wait a little while for [Cillian] to make his appearance'. 28 Years Later was filmed back-to-back with the second film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, by director Nia DaCosta, which is being released in January 2026. Producer Andrew Macdonald previously confirmed that Cillian would not be appearing in 28 Years Later, but also suggested he could return for a future film. He told Empire: '[On] this, we wanted him to be involved and he wanted to be involved. He is not in the first film, but I'm hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line.' He added: 'He's involved at the moment as an executive producer, and I would hope we can work with him in some way in the future in the trilogy.' With a budget of $75million, 28 Years Later is the biggest film to be created with an iPhone and follows in the footsteps of a new Apple TV show. 28 Years Later hits UK cinemas on June 19, 2025.
