Charles Strouse, Legendary 'Annie' and 'Bye Bye Birdie' Composer, Dead at 96 - NewsBreak
, the legendary composer behind some of Broadway's biggest musicals, like Annie and Bye Bye Birdie, has died. He was 96.
Strouse died on Thursday, May 15 while at his home in Manhattan, N.Y., according to family spokesperson , who confirmed the news to the New York Times.
The winner of three Tony Awards throughout his career, Strousse is best known for his work on a number of beloved Broadway shows, including Bye Bye Birdie, which famously featured the standard "Put on a Happy Face." He would continue to create some of today's most well-known show tunes, including "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard-Knock Life" from Annie.
Annie earned Strouse a Tony for best original score, while Bye Bye Birdie, as well as his 1970 musical Applause, both took home Tony awards for best musical. His other musicals include 1962’s All American, 1964’s Golden Boy and 1966's It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman.
In addition to his Broadway work, the prolific musical composer is credited with a number of other impressive and recognizable melodies, including "Those Were the Days," the iconic theme song for the beloved CBS sitcom All in the Family, with lyrics by .
He ended up winning an Emmy for the 1995 TV film adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, and throughout his career, Strouse was nominated for a total of six Grammys, two of which he won.
Strouse's film scores also include Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968), There Was a Crooked Man (1970), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980) and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).
Strouse is survived by his four children, , , , and . His wife, Barbara Siman, preceded him in death in 2023.
