Composer of The Sting film score mourned

Hamlisch collapsed and died in Los Angeles on Monday after a brief illness. Other details were not released.

His scores helped define some of Hollywood’s most enduring works and the composer won every major award in his career, including three Academy Awards, four Emmys, a Tony and three Golden Globes. In all, he composed more than 40 film scores, including Sophie’s Choice and Ordinary People and won his third Oscar for his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s music for The Sting.

On Broadway, Hamlisch received both a Tony and the Pulitzer Prize, and even reached into the pop world, writing the No 1 R&B hit Break it to Me Gently with Carole Bayer Sager for Aretha Franklin. He won the 1974 Grammys for best new artist and song of the year, The Way We Were, performed by Barbra Streisand.

Hamlisch working on a new musical, Gotta Dance, at the time of his death.