Burt Bacharach, one of the most well-known and renowned pop music composers of the twentieth century, died at the age of 94. He penned several classic and number-one songs for a wide spectrum of well-known musicians.
According to publicist Tina Brausam, who confirmed the news to the Associated Press, the composer died of natural causes.
Burt Bacharach is a notable 20th-century popular music composer whose hundreds of songs from the 1950s to the 1980s include many of the largest performers’ individual successes and memorable movie soundtrack songs.
He frequently collaborated with songwriter Hal David, and many of their songs were created specifically for Dionne Warwick, who popularized a number of them. The well-known songs “Walk On By,” “Alfie,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” are examples of this.
However, they also wrote successes for other artists, many of which reached the top of the Billboard 100 chart. These include “This Guy’s in Love with You” by Herb Alpert, “(They Long to Be) Close to You” by the Carpenters, and “That’s What Friends Are For,” which became a hit as an all-star charity record benefiting AIDS research.
Bacharach also wrote remarkable music for the theatre and the movie.
He composed the music for the Broadway musical Promises, Promises, as well as films such as Arthur and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Furthermore, the films featured two classic Bacharach & David theme songs that went on to win two Academy Awards: “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” from Butch Cassidy.
Bacharach won a second Oscar for the soundtrack to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Despite being born in Kansas City, Missouri, Bacharach was raised in Kew Gardens, New York. He was captivated to music, particularly jazz, from a young age. He served in the United States Army for two years.
Bacharach’s music was usually referred to as “easy listening,” and his compositions were incompatible with the burgeoning rock era due to his traditional style and influences.
But Bacharach’s peppy pop melodies and smooth, jazzy instrumentals will always be associated with the 1960s; his music defined the era. His tunes appear in both Austin Powers and Mad Men.
Furthermore, Bacharach was widely recognized by musicians for his prodigious songwriting ability, and many of his tunes have been performed by artists from other genres.
“The short version of him is that he’s something to do with easy listening,” Elvis Costello, a rock musician who worked with Bacharach, told the Associated Press in 2018. “These tunes may be pleasant to listen to, but they are far from easy. Play with them. “Make an attempt to sing them.”
Bacharach and Hal David received three Academy Awards, six Grammy Awards, and the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Rolling Stone named the duo 32nd on their list of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Hal David died in 2012 at the age of 91 after suffering a stroke.
Burt Bacharach, truly one of the finest song composers of all time, rest in peace. His songs will carry on in perpetuity.
Please spread the word and let us know what your favorite Burt Bacharach songs are.
