Charles Louis Strouse (June 7, 1928 – May 15, 2025) was an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to the Broadway musicals ''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The play's book was influenced by El ...

'', '' Applause'', and '' Annie''.

Background

Charles Louis Strouse, a native of the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York City, was born on June 7, 1928, to Jewish parents, Ethel (née Newman) and Ira Strouse, who worked in the tobacco business. His parents suffered from physical and mental health issues, and the family found respite from their troubles when they would sing songs together at the piano, which his mother played. He graduated from the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...

, where he studied under Arthur Berger, David Diamond,

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist, and conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Compos ...

, and

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher, conductor and composer. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organis ...

."Charles Strouse"
masterworksbroadway.com, retrieved December 11, 2017 He had initially aspired to a career in classical music, but Boulanger assured him that his talent for "light music" was valuable, saying "to make someone forget illness and suffering is also a calling.” His rare, happy childhood memories later inspired the credit sequence of “All in the Family,” in which Carroll O’Connor and

Jean Stapleton Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray; January 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013) was an American character actress of stage, television and film. Stapleton is best known for her portrayal of Edith Bunker, the perpetually optimistic and devoted wif ...

sit at the piano, singing together.

Career

Strouse began a collaboration with

Lee Adams Lee Richard Adams (born August 14, 1924) is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse. Biography Lee Adams was born in Mansfield, Ohio, on August 14, 1924. He is the son of Dr. Leopold Adams, ori ...

in 1952, and they had written songs together for several years by the time their first Broadway musical, ''

'', opened in 1960. For this show, Strouse won his first

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

in the category of best musical. Strouse's next show was '' All American'' (1962), with a book by

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

and lyrics by Adams; it was not a success, closing after 80 performances, but it produced the standard “

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...

” (recorded by

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, '' The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress E ...

Al Martino Jasper Cini (October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009), known professionally as Al Martino, was an American traditional pop and standards singer. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid-1970s, being described as "one o ...

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

, and

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

, among dozens of others). Following this was '' Golden Boy'' (1964, also with Adams), starring

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

, which ran for 568 performances. The musical '' It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman'' (1966, based on the popular comic strip) closed after 129 performances, but introduced the song " You've Got Possibilities" sung by

Linda Lavin Linda Lavin (; October 15, 1937 – December 29, 2024) was an American actress and singer. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she received several awards including three Drama Desk Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Obie Awards, and a T ...

. Its theme would also be adopted by Washington, D.C. television station WTOP (now WUSA) for news broadcasts. In 1970, '' Applause'' (starring

Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...

, with book by Betty Comden and

Adolph Green Adolph Green (December 2, 1914 – October 23, 2002) was an American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for musicals on Broadway (theatre), Broadway and in Cinema of the Unite ...

, and lyrics by Adams) won Strouse his second

Tony Award for Best Musical The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The award goes to the ...

. In 1977, Strouse adapted another comic strip for the stage, creating the hit '' Annie'', which included the song " Tomorrow," which quickly became a "monstrous song hit," and garnered him his third Tony Award and two

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

. Other Strouse musicals include '' Charlie and Algernon'' (1979), '' Dance a Little Closer'' (1983, with lyrics by

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...

, which closed after one performance), ''

Rags Rag, rags, RAG or The Rag may refer to: Common uses * Rag, a piece of old cloth * Rags, tattered clothes * Wash rag, a small cloth used for bathing * Rag (newspaper), a publication engaging in tabloid journalism * Rag paper, or cotton paper Arts ...

'' (1986; which closed after four performances and 18 previews), '' Nick & Nora'' (1993, which closed after 9 performances), and ''

An American Tragedy ''An American Tragedy'' is a 1925 novel by American writer Theodore Dreiser. He began the manuscript in the summer of 1920, but a year later, abandoned most of that text. It was based on the notorious murder of Grace Brown in 1906, and the tria ...

'' (1995, with lyrics by David Shaber, performed at

Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German pat ...

). Strouse also wrote musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

s, many with Adams, and his songs were included in revues. The revues included ''Shoestring Revue'' (with Adams and Michael Stewart) (1955 – Off–Broadway), ''Medium Rare'' (with Adams) (1960 – Chicago),Dietz, Dan. ''Off Broadway Musicals, 1910–2007'', McFarland, 2012; , pp. 72, 406. ''By Strouse'' (1978 – Off–Broadway at The Ballroom), ''Upstairs At O'Neals'' (1982 – Nightclub Revue), ''Can't Stop Dancin'' (1994 – Marymount Theatre), and ''A Lot Of Living!'' (1996 – conceived and directed by Barbara Siman at Rainbow and Stars). Strouse wrote the music and lyrics for the animated special '' Lyle, Lyle Crocodile'' which aired on

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

in 1987. His film scores include ''

Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut "Champion" Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were American outlaws who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression, committing a ser ...

'' (1967), '' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (1970, with

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

and

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

), the

Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922December 5, 2023) was an American screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear created and produced numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including ''All in the Family'' (1 ...

production of '' The Night They Raided Minsky's'' (1968, with Adams), and the popular animated movie ''

All Dogs Go to Heaven ''All Dogs Go to Heaven'' is a 1989 animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and co-directed by Gary Goldman (his directorial debut) and Dan Kuenster. Set in New Orleans in 1939, it tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin ...

'' (1989). He and Adams also wrote the theme song “Those Were the Days” for the Norman Lear television show ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American sitcoms in the United States, sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as ''Archie Bunker's Pla ...

''. Additionally, the title sequence, of Archie and Edith Bunker performing the tune at their piano, was inspired by Strouse's childhood memories of playing music with his parents at home. Strouse's songs have been heard on the radio throughout his career and have run the gamut from girl-band pop to hip hop. In 1958, his song “ Born Too Late” was number seven on the Billboard charts, and in 1999 the quadruple platinum '' Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)'' by artist

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

(which sampled "It's The Hard Knock Life" from ''Annie'') was the winner of the

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

for Best Rap Album of the year and the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

R&B Album of the Year. Strouse's writing also extended into his original interest of orchestral works, chamber music, piano concertos, and opera. His ''Concerto America'', composed in 2002 to remember

9/11 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

and the spirit of New York City, premiered at The

Boston Pops The Boston Pops is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symphony Orc ...

in 2002, and his opera ''

Nightingale The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird which is best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, ...

'' (1982), starring

Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer and actress. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made ...

, had a successful run in London, followed by many subsequent productions. In 1979, Strouse founded the

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, through which many young composers and lyricists have found a forum for their work. A musical stage adaptation of the

Paddy Chayefsky Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (; January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays. He w ...

film '' Marty'' starring John C. Reilly premiered at Boston's Huntington Theatre in October 2002, with lyrics by Lee Adams and Strouse and the book by

Rupert Holmes Rupert Holmes (born David Goldstein; February 24, 1947) is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles " Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and " Him" (1980). He is also know ...

.Hernandez, Ernio
"John C. Reilly Sings in New Musical, 'Marty', Starting Oct. 18 in Boston"
Playbill.com, October 18, 2002. ''Real Men'', for which Strouse wrote the music and lyrics, premiered in January 2005 at the

Coconut Grove Playhouse The Coconut Grove Playhouse was a theatre in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It opened on January 1, 1927, as a part of ...

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

,Jones, Kenneth
"'Real Men', an Intimate New Musical By Charles Strouse, Opens Jan. 7 in Miami"
Playbill.com, January 7, 2005. and his musical ''Studio'', premiered at Theatre Building Chicago in August 2006. The musical '' Minsky's'', with music by Strouse, book by Bob Martin, and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead (loosely based on the movie '' The Night They Raided Minsky's'') premiered in January 2009 at the Ahmanson Theater.Jones, Kenneth
"'Minsky's', Burlesque-Set Musical by Strouse, Birkenhead and Martin, Opens in L.A."
Playbill.com, February 6, 2009.

Recognition

Strouse won

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for music in television adaptions of ''Bye Bye Birdie'' and ''Annie''. He was also the recipient of the 1999 ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award and the Oscar Hammerstein Award. He became a member of the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame was founded in 1972 in New York City. The first head of its executive committee was Earl Blackwell. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the Uris Theatre, ...

(in 2001) and the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...

Personal life and death

Strouse was married to director-choreographer Barbara Siman until her death on February 16, 2023. They had four children. Strouse described himself as a Jewish atheist, and said that after his sister died young from breast cancer, he no longer believed in God. He received the Emperor Has No Clothes Award at the

Freedom From Religion Foundation The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for atheism, atheists, agnosticism, agnostics, and nontheism, nontheists. Formed in 1976, FFRF promotes the separation of church and state, and ch ...

's 34th annual national convention on October 8, 2011. The award is "reserved for public figures who make known their dissent from religion". Strouse died at his Manhattan home on May 15, 2025, at the age of 96.

Musicals

"Charles Strouse Broadway"
Playbill.com; retrieved December 10, 2017"Strouse Broadway Credits"
ibdb.com; retrieved December 10, 2017 *''A Pound in Your Pocket'' (1959; Palm Beach, Florida) *''

'' (1960) *'' All American'' (1962) *'' Golden Boy'' (1964) *'' It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman'' (1966) *'' Applause'' (1970) *''Six'' (1971, Off-Broadway) *'' I and Albert'' (1972, London) *'' Annie'' (1977) *'' A Broadway Musical'' (1978) *'' Charlie and Algernon'' (1979, London, as ''Flowers for Algernon''); (1981) *''

Bring Back Birdie ''Bring Back Birdie'' is a 1981 musical theatre, musical with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams, and a book by Michael Stewart (playwright), Michael Stewart. It is a sequel to the 1960 musical ''Bye Bye Birdie (musical), Bye Bye Birdi ...

'' (1981) *''

'' (1982; this work is often described as an opera) *'' Dance a Little Closer'' (1983) *''

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

'' (1985, Off-Broadway) *''

'' (1986) *''Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile'' (1988; Albany, NY) *''Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge'' (1989, Washington, DC) *''

Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...

'' (1989; Wilmington, Delaware) *'' Nick & Nora'' (1991) *'' Annie Warbucks'' (1993, Off-Broadway) *''Bojangles'' (1993; Richmond, Virginia) *''

'' (1995, Muhlenberg College, 2010) *'' Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'' (1998) * '' Marty'' (2002, Boston) *''The Future of the American Musical Theater'' (2004 opera, Eastman School of Music) *''Real Men'' (2005, Miami) *''Studio'' (2006, Chicago) *'' Minsky's'' (2009, Los Angeles) *''Martin: A New American Musical'' (2011, Miami)

Film scores

*''

'' (1967) *'' The Night They Raided Minsky's'' (1968) *'' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (1970) *'' Just Tell Me What You Want'' (1980) *'' Annie'' (1982) *''

The Worst Witch ''The Worst Witch'' is a series of children's books written and illustrated by English author Jill Murphy. The series are primarily about a girl named Mildred Hubble who attends a witch school and fantasy stories, with eight books published. ...

'' (1986) *''

Ishtar Inanna is the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and fertility. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akk ...

'' (1987) *''

'' (1989) (songs only) *'' Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'' (1990)

Awards and nominations

*1961 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Bye Bye Birdie'', winner) *1965 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Golden Boy'', nominee) *1970 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Applause'', winner) *1977 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Annie'', winner) *1977 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (''Annie'', nominee) *1981 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Charlie and Algernon'', nominee) *1986 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (''Mayor'', nominee) *1987 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Rags'', nominee)" ''Rags'' Awards"
ibdb.com, retrieved December 11, 2017 *1987

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

for Outstanding Music (''Rags'', nominee) *1992 Tony Award for Best Original Score (''Nick & Nora'', nominee)" ''Nick & Nora'' Awards"
ibdb.com, retrieved December 11, 2017 *1996 Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (''Bye Bye Birdie'', winner) *2012 Rochester (NY) Music Hall of Fame (Lifetime Body of Work) *2013

Five Towns College Five Towns College is a private college in Dix Hills, New York. The college's degree programs focus on music, media, and the performing arts. History Founded in 1972, Five Towns College holds an Absolute Charter issued by the New York State Boa ...

named Charles Strouse School of Music

References

External links

* * * * *
Interview with Charles Strouse in International Songwriters Association's "Songwriter Magazine"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strouse, Charles 1928 births 2025 deaths 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American composers 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American composers American film score composers American humanists American male film score composers American male musical theatre composers American musical theatre composers Broadway composers and lyricists Grammy Award winners Jewish American atheists Jewish American film score composers Jewish American songwriters People from the Upper West Side Primetime Emmy Award winners Secular humanists Tony Award winners Townsend Harris High School alumni