Charles Strouse

Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to the musicals Bye Bye Birdie and Annie, amongst others.

Strouse was born in New York City, to Jewish parents, Ethel (née Newman) and Ira Strouse, who worked in the tobacco business. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, he studied under Arthur Berger, David Diamond, Aaron Copland and Nadia Boulanger.

Strouse's first Broadway musical was the 1960 hit Bye Bye Birdie, with lyrics by Lee Adams, who would become his long-time collaborator. For this show, Strouse won his first Tony Award in the category of best musical, and Bye Bye Birdie is considered the precursor of the rock musical. Strouse's next show, All American, with a book by Mel Brooks and lyrics by Adams, came in 1962; it was not a success but it produced the standard “Once Upon a Time” (recorded by Eddie Fisher, Al Martino, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Bobby Darin, among others). Following this were Golden Boy (1964, also with Adams), starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman (1966, based on the popular comic strip) which was modestly successful; it introduced the song "You've Got Possibilities" sung by Linda Lavin.