Burt Bacharach was one of the most influential and successful composers and record producers of the twentieth century. He has collaborated extensively with lyricist, Hal David, on hundreds of pop hits from the 1950s to the 1980s. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Bacharach and David at number 32 on their list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri but grew up in New York. He learned to play the piano at a young age and had a passionate interest in jazz as a teenager. He gained a Bachelor of Music from Montreal's McGill University (1948) and studied under Helmut Blume at the Mannes School of Music and at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California. Following his service in the United States Army, Bacharach began to work as a pianist and accompanist for popular singers of the time. In 1956, he became the arranger and conductor for Marlene Dietrich, before being promoted to her music director. He toured the world with Dietrich until the early 1960s, when he left to write songs full-time.
Bacharach met Hal David in 1957 and they began writing together regularly from the early 1960s.Together, they discovered Dionne Warwick and the trio became one of the most successful collaborations of the 1960s, releasing hits such as "Walk On By", "Don't Make Me Over", "I Say a Little Prayer", and "Anyone Who Had a Heart". Bacharach and David continued their successful partnership until 1973. He then worked with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, whom he also married. Bacharach has written songs for many singers, including Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, Cilla Black, the Carpenters, and Dusty Springfield.
In 1968, Bacharach and David collaborated with producer David Merrick on the musical Promises, Promises. The show won a Grammy Award for Best Cast Album. Bacharach has also composed the scores for several films, including Casino Royale (1967, featuring "The Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, featuring "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" which won the Academy Award for Best Song), and Alfie (1981; the title song of the film also won the Academy Award for Best Song).
Bacharach was married four times and is a six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner. In 2011, he and Hal David were awarded the Gershwin Award for Popular Song, the first time the award had been given to a partnership.
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