Composer Hamlisch dies aged 68 (From Keighley News)

Composer Hamlisch dies aged 68

5:07pm Tuesday 7th August 2012 in Entertainment News © Press Association 2013

Marvin Hamlisch, who composed the scores for dozens of movies including The Sting, has died in Los Angeles aged 68.

Family spokesman Jason Lee said Hamlisch died on Monday after a brief illness.

The composer's scores helped define some of Hollywood's most iconic works. He won every major award in his career, including three Academy Awards, four Emmys, a Tony and three Golden Globes.

Hamlisch composed more than 40 film scores, including Sophie's Choice, Ordinary People and Take The Money And Run.

He won his third Oscar for his adaptation of Scott Joplin's music for The Sting. On Broadway, Hamlisch received the Pulitzer Prize for long-running favourite The Chorus Line and wrote The Goodbye Girl and Sweet Smell Of Success.

He even reached into the pop world, writing the number one 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.

A news release from his publicist said he had been scheduled to fly to Nashville, Tennessee, this week to see a production of his hit musical The Nutty Professor.

He was working on a new musical, Gotta Dance, at the time of his death and was scheduled to write the score for a new film on Liberace, Behind The Candelabra.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Terre.