Marvin Hamlisch - Marvin Hamlisch Wanted Wife To Inherit Estate And Awards Regardless Of Marital Status

Acclaimed composer Marvin Hamlisch vowed to leave the majority of his estate and his entire treasure trove of Oscars, Emmys and Grammy Awards to his wife, even if they split up before his death.

The legendary musician drafted the final version of his will in May, 2011 and stipulated that Tv broadcaster Terre Blair, who he wed in 1989, should receive his haul of trophies and his musical recordings, "regardless of whether we are married to each other or legally separated or divorced on the date of my death".

Blair remained by his side until his death on 6 August (12) and her loyalty was rewarded with all of the copyrights, contract rights and intellectual property to his entire library of work, including Broadway hit A Chorus Line, Barbra Streisand's 1973 movie The Way We Were and 1973's The Sting, both of which landed him Academy Awards.

Hamlisch also ensured his beloved dog, Abby, would be pampered after he was gone - if his wife didn't survive him, he wanted his sister-in-law Charlotte Jones to look after the pooch and granted her $20,000 (£12,500)-a-month for the pet's care.

Hamlisch and Blair did not have children, so he left instructions for trust funds to be set up in his two nieces' names to pay for their education.

The will, filed in Westchester Surrogate Court in New York, does not list the value of the composer's estate at the time of his passing but states that it is worth more than $500,000 (£312,500).