(Frederick), American composer of popular music; b. N.Y., June 2, 1944. Hamlisch's father, an accordionist, trained him in music. He then studied piano at the Juilliard School of Music and at Queens College (B.A., 1967).

Hamlisch began writing songs at the age of 15. His first success came in 1974, when he won no less than three Academy Awards for his scores for the films The Way We Were and The Sting. In 1975, he wrote the score for the musical A Chorus Line, which received the Pulitzer Prize for the play and a Tony award for the best musical score. The play ran for over a decade and, at the time of its closure, was the longest-running Broadway musical. The cast album was estimated to have sold over a million copies.

Hamlisch returned to Broadway in 1979 with They're Playing Our Song, with lyrics by his ex-lover, CAROLE BAYER SAGER. The plot was loosely based on their relationship. The duo also wrote the best-selling theme for the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, called Nobody Does It Better (performed by Carly Simon).

Hamlisch spent most of the '80s and '90s scoring Hollywood films, including 1981's Pennies from Heaven, 1982's Sophie's Choice, and 1987's Three Men and a Baby. He is said to be working on a new Broadway show to open in 1999.