Trivia

He was working as a rehearsal pianist for a Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer show called "Saratoga". The stage manager, Edward V. Padula, had heard one of Strouse's "Green Mansions" songs. Padula needed a composer for an idea he had for a musical about teenagers. It became "Bye Bye Birdie". Strouse not only composed the music, he played piano for the auditions.

Won three Tony Awards: in 1961, for music of Best Musical winner "Bye, Bye Birdie"; in 1970, for music of Best Musical winner "Applause"; and in 1977, as Best Score, his music with Martin Charnin's lyrics for "Annie". He was also Tony-nominated four other times: in 1965, for music of Best Musical nominee "Golden Boy"; in 1981, as Best Score, his music with David Rogers' lyrics, for "Charlie and Algernon"; in 1987, as Best Score, his music with Stephen Schwartz' lyrics for "Rags"; and in 1992, as Best Score (Musical), his music with Richard Maltby Jr.'s lyrics for "Nick and Nora".

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.

In the early 1950s, he was asked to write songs for weekly revues at an Adirondacks summer camp, Green Mansions. He wrote and orchestrated his songs, and copied all the vocal and instrumental parts.

He studied at the Eastman School of Music. He was a student of Aaron Copland at the Tanglewood Music Center (Massachusetts) and of the legendary Nadia Boulanger in Paris. After returning from France, he wrote serious compositions. To make ends meet, he played piano for singers in nightclubs.

He and his wife, Barbara Siman Strouse, a former director and choreographer, live with their dog, Zeke, live at the Parc Vendome in New York City. The couple has four children: Victoria Strouse, Will Strouse, Nicholas Strouse and Benjamin Strouse. Son William Lee Strouse is a screenwriter and he graduated from Trinity College-Hartford. William was also a winner of the Chesterfield Writer's Film Project screenwriting fellowship. (September 2008)

Susan Birkenhead and he were awarded the 2009 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Musical Score for "Minsky's" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

His musical, "Annie" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 1991 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Musical Production.

Was a piano player for dance bands in addition to working as a rehearsal pianist for "Your Show Of Shows.".

He was cremated after his private funeral service at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. His urn was buried with his parents at Union Field Cemetery in Ridgewood, New York afterwards.