The tragic news was announced on Friday (26 November) via his friend and lawyer F Richard Pappas. In a statement to the New York Times, he revealed that a cause of death was unknown and that Sonheim was not ill before passing.
His death came one day after he celebrated Thanksgiving with his friends in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Since debuting onto the scene over 60 years ago, Sondheim has wowed Broadway enthusiasts with his groundbreaking lyricism and composing.
His earliest successes began in the 1950s when wrote the lyrics for the hit musicals West Side Story and Gypsy. In the 60s, he began writing and composing musicals with his first being A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.