The orchestra mistakenly began playing the National Anthem immediately after Marvin Hamlisch was announced at a Pasadena Pops event at Los Angeles Arborteum just two weeks ago. With his usual humor, although clearly ailing, Hamlisch said, "Well that deprived me of my due applause, let's do this again." He walked off stage, the announcer called his name once again, and back he returned to a standing ovation.

Hamlisch's last two concerts as the Principal Conductor for the Pasadena Pops were in stark contrast to the previous season where he energetically joked with the audience and the other entertainers he brought on stage with him. Significant weight loss, a shuffled walk, and the inability to stand throughout the concert were indicators of something very wrong with his health. Yet he managed to entertain and leave the audience feeling better as they left then when they came in. The Jewish boy from New York never failed to give his all and this he did til the end.