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Charles Strouse, Tony award-winning composer of Annie, dies aged 96

Over the course of an illustrious career, Strouse composed music for Broadway shows such as Bye Bye Birdie and Applause but was best known for Annie’s evergreen songs

The story of the plucky red-headed orphan featured evergreen songs (with lyrics by Martin Charnin) including Tomorrow, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile and It’s the Hard-Knock Life, which was sampled by Jay-Z in a 1998 single. He also worked in film, incorporating banjos into the score for Bonnie and Clyde, and television, writing the theme music for the long-running sitcom All in the Family. Pop songs (including the hit Born Too Late written with Fred Tobias), revues, opera, chamber music and a range of classical pieces were also composed by the industrious and prolific Strouse.

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