Marvin Laird, Award-Winning Composer and Bernadette Peters' Longtime Musical Director, Dies at 85

Marvin Laird, composer, conductor, and musical director in both Broadway and film industries, peacefully died at the age of 85 due to natural causes on December 2.

Artists, filmmakers, and dancers all showered Laird with compliments, stressing his exceptional skills and, above all, his humble demeanor.

Bernadette Peters said in a statement, according to Variety, "My beloved Marvin had impeccable style, a delicious sense of humor, and his generous spirit made everyone he worked with fall in love with him."

"I was a major beneficiary of Marvin's genius and generosity of support and love."

Marvin has an impressive list of accomplishments, having conducted popular Broadway productions such as "Annie Get Your Gun," "Gypsy," and "Follies."

His conducting skills have also been featured in concerts featuring artists like Peters, Joel Grey, Diana Ross, Cass Elliot, Dusty Springfield, and Goldie Hawn.

In addition to composing dance music for iconic films like "Hello, Dolly!" Featuring Barbra Streisand and "New York, New York" with Liza Minnelli and Robert DeNiro, he also created ballet scores for "Smile with My Heart" and Robert Altman's "The Company."

His talent extended to scoring beloved TV series like "Dynasty" and "The Love Boat," as well as composing the memorable score for "Ruthless! The Musical," a critically acclaimed production that has fascinated audiences worldwide since its debut in 1992.