Entertainment
Charles Strouse, Broadway Composer of ‘Annie’ & ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ Dies at 96

Composer Charles Strouse, who died Thursday at age 96, was Broadway royalty – a three-time Tony winner for Bye Bye Birdie, Applause and Annie. He also won two Grammys (as both composer and producer) for the Annie cast album and a Primetime Emmy for a 1996 revival of Bye Bye Birdie starring Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. Strouse was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.
Even if you’re not a Broadway buff, you know at least a few of Adams’ songs. Annie spawned the instant standard “Tomorrow,” which Barbra Streisand covered on her platinum album Songbird. Jay-Z had a top 15 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999 with “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” which sampled “It’s the Hard Knock Life” from Annie.
Bye Bye Birdie, about a pop star who was drafted to go into the Army (inspired by Elvis Presley, the biggest pop star of the 1950s, who experienced a similar fate at the height of his fame), also spawned a standard – the jaunty “Put on a Happy Face,” which Dick Van Dyke performed in the musical (and in the 1963 film version). The song was covered by such artists as Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mathis, The Supremes and Tony Bennett. Bye Bye Birdie also included the spirited “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” which was recorded by such stars as Bobby Rydell.
Strouse was born Charles Louis Strouse in New York City on June 7, 1928. In 1949 he met lyricist Lee Adams at a party, which led to a long and successful musical partnership. The duo began by writing tunes for numerous revues, as well as special material for performers such as Kaye Ballard, Carol Burnett, Jane Morgan and Dick Shawn.
In 1958, Strouse teamed with Fred Tobias to write “Born Too Late,” which became a No. 7 hit on the then-new Hot 100 for Poni-Tails, a female vocal trio.
Strouse teamed with Adams to write the songs for several long-running Broadway musicals. They won Tonys for best musical in 1961 for Bye Bye Birdie (for which Van Dyke won a Tony) and in 1970 for Applause (for which Lauren Bacall won a Tony). They were nominated for a Tony for best musical in 1965 for Golden Boy (for which Sammy Davis Jr. was nominated for a Tony).
Even some of their lesser hits spawned memorable songs. 1962’s All American, which starred Ray Bolger, closed after 80 performances. However, one song from the score, “Once Upon a Time,” became an oft-performed standard of the 1960s, with recordings by such top singers as Tony Bennett, Vic Damone, Perry Como, Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra. Richard Carpenter performed the poignant ballad at a 1983 concert soon after the death of his sister, Karen Carpenter.
Strouse scored the 1967 film classic Bonnie and Clyde, which brought him a Grammy nod for best original score written for a motion picture or TV special. Strouse and Adams wrote songs for The Night They Raided Minsky’s, a 1968 film produced by Norman Lear. While that film was only a modest hit, their collaboration with the producer would be a blockbuster.
In 1970, Strouse and Adams were asked to write a theme song for a TV show that Lear was developing. The show, which debuted in January 1971, was All in the Family, the biggest and most groundbreaking TV hit of the decade. Series stars Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton performed the theme song “Those Were the Days,” which perfectly captured the tone of the show, from its opening lines: “Boy, the way Glenn Miller played/ Songs that made ‘The Hit Parade’/ Guys like us we had it made/ Those were the days.” The title sequence, of Archie and Edith performing the tune at their piano, is said to have been inspired by Strouse’s childhood memories of playing music with his parents at home. Released as a single, the original version reached No. 43 on the Hot 100 in 1972.
Several of Strouse’s scores climbed high on the Billboard 200. The Bye Bye Birdie cast album reached No. 12 (the subsequent film soundtrack climbed even higher – No. 2 in 1963). A TV soundtrack to All in the Family (which included “Those Were the Days”) reached No. 8 in 1972. The Annie cast album petered out at No. 81, but went platinum.
While Strouse is probably best known for his long partnership with Adams – who is still living at age 100 – he also collaborated with other lyricists. He and Martin Charnin teamed to write Annie, which won seven Tony Awards, including best musical and best original score.
Strouse received three subsequent Tony nominations for best original score, working with a different lyricist on each of the shows. He teamed with David Rogers on Charlie and Algernon (1981); with Steven Schwartz on Rags (1987); and with Richard Maltby, Jr. on Nick and Nora (1992).
Two revivals of Annie have received Tony nominations for best revival of a musical. In addition, a live staging of the show, titled Annie Live!, was produced for NBC in 2021.
Strouse loved what he did and remained active, which was doubtless a key to his longevity. “I work every day,” he told The Associated Press during an interview on the eve of his 80th birthday in 2008. “Activity — it’s a life force. When you enjoy doing what you’re doing, which I do very much, I have something to get up for.”
Strouse died at his home in New York City, his family said. Strouse’s wife, director-choreographer Barbara Siman, died in 2023. He is survived by four children, Ben, Nick, Victoria and William.
Entertainment
No ‘Good’ Deed Goes Unpunished for Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Final ‘Wicked: For Good’ Trailer

In the final trailer for Wicked: For Good, Ariana Grande‘s character learns that a big price comes with being Glinda the Good.
Released on Wednesday (Sept. 24) — about two months before the Wicked sequel finally premieres in theaters on Nov. 21 — the preview shows how the blonde leading lady wrestles with her new role as Oz’s spokeswoman, as Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba attempts to expose the Wizard’s evil agenda while living in hiding. At first, Glinda is “obsess-ulated” with the gorgeous gown, tiara and mechanical flying bubble her public-facing life affords her — but everything quickly comes crashing down when she realizes that she’s on the wrong side of history, and that she just might be too late to save her former schoolmate from the wrath of Oz’s brainwashed citizens.
“I’m a public figure now, people expect me to …,” Glinda tells Elphaba at one point, with Dorothy’s fallen house and the Yellow Brick Road visible in the background.
“Lie?” the green-skinned witch cuts in, to which Glinda says defensively, “Be encouraging.”
Grande’s character is less sure of herself when she is confronted by Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero, who accuses, “You can’t resist this.”
“Who could?” Glinda asks, to which the Winkie prince replies, “You know who could.”
Arriving one year after the first Wicked hit theaters and shattered movie-musical box-office records, For Good will serve as the film adaptation of the second act of the Broadway musical on which the live-actions are based. The soundtrack will also drop on Nov. 21, complete with two brand new songs sung by Grande and Erivo.
As revealed when the tracklist dropped a week prior to the new trailer, the title of Glinda’s bonus song is “The Girl in the Bubble,” while Elphaba’s added balled is called “No Place Like Home.”
Watch the final trailer for Wicked: For Good above.
Entertainment
Priscilla Presley Says That Leaving Elvis Presley Was ‘The Only Way to Survive’ in New Memoir ‘Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis’

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Priscilla Presley was with Elvis Presley for around 14 years before they split; however, the pair had known each other for years before they wed in 1967.
The time in between and following Priscilla and Elvis’ divorce was a tough spot for Priscilla, and one she wasn’t super open about — that is, until now. In her new memoir Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis, the actress shares the difficult but inspiring journey beyond the walls of Graceland post-split with the King, choosing to put herself and her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, first.
A hardcover version of the book is now on sale and can be purchased now on Amazon for $22.38, while paperback will run you $32. A Kindle version retails for $15.99. If you’re a superfan of Priscilla and the Presley family, you can also snag a signed version of the memoir via Barnes & Noble for $32. The piece makes a great gift for the avid Elvis collector in your life. If you’d rather listen to the memoir, we won’t judge, you can do so with Audible via a subscription which costs $7.95 a month, a price tag less than a physical copy.
Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis
A new memoir by Priscilla Presley.
If you didn’t know, Priscilla met Elvis when she was just 14 and he was 24. The singer was serving in the U.S. Army in 1959 in Germany. The pair remained romantically connected for years, even with distance between them and in 1967, they were wed in a simple and very secret ceremony in Las Vegas. While their separation in 1973 was painful for Priscilla, this novel highlights why it was so important for the Naked Gun star to leave.
It seems that Priscilla lost touch with herself throughout her relationship with Elvis. Leaving allowed her to find herself again. Through the book, we are treated to snippets of Priscilla’s life pre- and post-Elvis and how she had to reinvent herself a second time as the single mother after the performer’s death in 1977.
Today, we are taken through how Priscilla was able to transform Graceland into an international destination and helped guide the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises, turning the King’s legacy into a full-on business. If you are an Elvis fan, this gives readers a unique perspective on his life, as told by his ex-wife. It also gives Priscilla’s story more context for those who aren’t too familiar with her life and career.
Entertainment
Calvin Harris’ Ex-Business Manager Denies $22M Fraud Claims: ‘Categorically False’

Calvin Harris‘ former longtime business manager is firing back against bombshell fraud claims, saying he never stole from anybody and that the Scottish DJ willingly agreed to invest in his Los Angeles real estate development project.
Thomas St. John, an entertainment industry-focused accountant who runs the eponymous firm Thomas St. John Group, is currently wrapped up in thorny arbitration proceedings with his former client Harris (Adam Wiles). He’s accused of abusing his access to Harris’ accounts in order to fund his side venture: the construction of a recording studio and office space complex in Hollywood.
Harris claims that St. John tricked him into investing $22.5 million in the project, known as CMNTY Culture Campus, which he says turned out to be a “complete boondoggle” that he “has not received a single penny in return for” — while suggesting that St. John pocketed much of the money for himself.
However, a representative for St. John says in a new statement that the allegations are “categorically false.” The rep denies that St. John engaged in any self-dealing, adding that Harris is one of nine above-board investors who “knowingly signed investment agreements” to get involved in CMNTY Culture.
“Not a single dollar has been misappropriated, all investor entitlements remain intact, and the project continues to advance within the normal entitlement timeline,” says St. John’s rep in the Tuesday (Sept. 23) statement. “We will continue to take every necessary step to set the record straight and to ensure that these malicious, bad-faith attacks are recognized for what they are: entirely without merit.”
While CMNTY Culture was initially designed to house a recording studio and office space, St. John has since shifted the plans and is now developing a residential apartment complex on the same tract of land in Hollywood. According to his rep, the project is proceeding apace and “is expected to approach a $1 billion valuation” upon completion.
“While the entitlement process has naturally taken longer than initially projected due to unprecedented interest, macroeconomic conditions and significant city red tape, it remains firmly within its promised schedule and is now on the verge of securing final entitlements, an important milestone that will unlock substantial value,” adds St. John’s rep.
Thomas St. John Group has offices in Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam and Stockholm. The management firm’s U.S. arm recently filed for bankruptcy, citing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent in L.A. and multiple pending legal actions.
One creditor listed in the firm’s bankruptcy papers is Philip Lawrence, a songwriter and producer who made his name collaborating with Bruno Mars. Lawrence used to be a client of St. John’s and at one point invested $10 million from the sale of his catalog into CMNTY Culture Campus, according to court filings in Lawrence’s own personal bankruptcy case.
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