Charles Strouse, Composer of ‘Annie’ and ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ Dies at 96

by

Renowned three-time Tony Award winner, songwriter, and lyricist Charles Strouse, best known for creating “Annie” and “Bye Bye Birdie,” passed away on Thursday at the age of 96.

The news was confirmed by the New York Times by Jim Byk, a spokesman for the family.

Strouse composed the music for more than thirty musicals, fourteen of which premiered on Broadway. His debut Broadway musical was “Bye Bye Birdie,” which initially appeared in 1960. This production earned him his initial Tony Award.

His second Tony Award came for “Applause.”

Annie was the one who earned Strouse his third Tony Award. He collaborated with lyricist Martin Charnin and librettist Thomas Meehan on this project. The Broadway musical, titled “Annie,” had a run of 2,377 performances and spawned productions worldwide. Strouse’s music for the show featured popular songs such as “Tomorrow,” “It’s the Hard-Knock Life,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” and “I Don’t Need Anything But You.

Born and brought up in New York City, Strouse is a native of the city. He was the child of Ira and Ethel (Newman) Strouse. As an alumnus of the Eastman School of Music, Strouse honed his skills under the tutelage of David Diamond, Aaron Copland, and Nadia Boulanger.

He’s been admitted into both the Songwriters and Theatre Halls of Fame, and his song “Those Were the Days” sparked more than 200 episodes of the TV series “All in the Family.

Beyond penning scripts for the stage, I, too, have a passion for creating music for films. One of my most notable works is the score for “Bonnie & Clyde,” which earned me a Grammy nomination. Additionally, I provided music for “There Was a Crooked Man,” “The Night They Raided Minsky’s,” Sidney Lumet’s “Just Tell Me What You Want,” and the animated feature “All Dogs Go To Heaven.

Besides this, his repertoire also features “Golden Boy,” a rendition based on the timeless play by Clifford Odets, which starred the renowned Sammy Davis Jr. This performance earned him another nomination for the Tony Award.

Strouse teamed up with Stephen Schwartz, another composer and lyricist, for the 1986 musical “Rags,” which featured the renowned opera singer Teresa Stratas.

2008 marked the publication of Strouse’s autobiography, titled “Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir,” which was released to commemorate his 80th birthday. In this book, he recounted his journey through Broadway and Hollywood, detailing his collaborations with figures such as Sammy Davis Jr., Bacall, Mel Brooks, and Warren Beatty.

He is survived by his children Victoria Strouse, Nicholas Strouse and Will Strouse.

Read More

2025-05-16 01:46