Marvin Hamlisch

Marvin Hamlisch was born on June 2, 1944. He was a child prodigy who studied piano at the Julliard School of Music. As a teenager, his talent for the piano drew him to being a professional concert pianist, but his anxiety over performing prevented him from pursuing this career. It did lead him to become a composer instead, though, something he had only pursued in private. By the time he was 21, he composed his first hit song titled "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows." In 1973, he won three Oscars, best dramatic score and best song, for the scores to the movies The Way We Were and The Sting. In 1975, he wrote the score for A Chorus Line which won him a Tony award (1976) for Best Score. He has since conducted various pop orchestras including the Pittsburgh Symphony and scoring flims and television shows.