Marvin Laird

{{Short description|American composer and conductor (1939–2024)}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Marvin Laird

|image = Marvin Laird.webp

|caption = Laird in 1960

|image_size = 185

|birth_date = {{birth date|1939|10|26}}

|birth_place = Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/marvin-laird-dead-bernadette-peters-composer-1236077819/|title=Marvin Laird, Broadway and Film Composer and Musical Director for Bernadette Peters, Dies at 85|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Mike|last=Barnes|date=December 4, 2024|access-date=December 24, 2024}}

|death_date = {{death date and age|2024|12|02|1939|10|26}}

|death_place = Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.

|occupation = Composer, conductor

|spouse = {{marriage|Joel Paley|2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/marvin-laird-12639|title=Marvin Laird|work=Internet Broadway Database|access-date=January 24, 2025}}

}}

Marvin Laird (October 26, 1939 – December 2, 2024) was an American composer and conductor. He was perhaps best known for writing the dance arrangements in the 1969 film Hello, Dolly! and for co-creating the all-female musical Ruthless! with his creative partner and later husband Joel Paley.{{Cite book|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hollywood_Musicals_Nominated_for_Best_Pi/zhSBCgAAQBAJ?hl=en|title=Hollywood Musicals Nominated for Best Picture|page=280|first=Frederick G.|last=Vogel|publisher=McFarland|date=September 2, 2015|ISBN=9781476611570|via=Google Books}}{{cite web |last1=Gans |first1=Andrew |title=Composer and Conductor Marvin E. Laird Passes Away at 85 |url=https://playbill.com/article/composer-and-conductor-marvin-e-laird-passes-away-at-85 |work=Playbill |date=December 4, 2024|access-date=January 25, 2025}}

Laird died on December 2, 2024 of natural causes in Bridgeport, Connecticut, at the age of 85.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/12/marvin-laird-dead-1236194371/|title=Marvin Laird Dies: Broadway, Film & Concert Musical Collaborator Of Bernadette Peters, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler And Many More Was 85|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 4, 2024|access-date=December 24, 2024|first=Greg|last=Evans}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/08/arts/music/marvin-laird-dead.html|title=Marvin Laird, Musical Presence on and Off Broadway, Dies at 85|work=The New York Times|date=December 8, 2024|access-date=December 24, 2024|first=Richard|last=Sandomir}} He was survived by his husband Paley, who would also pass away six weeks later on January 11, 2025.{{cite web |last1=Gans |first1=Andrew |title=Ruthless! Director and Scribe Joel Paley Has Died at 69 |url=https://playbill.com/article/ruthless-director-and-scribe-joel-paley-has-died-at-69 |work=Playbill |date=January 22, 2025|access-date=January 25, 2025}}