Burt Bacharach, legendary American composer, dead at 94: 6 emblematic songs

By The editorial staff with AFP

9 minutes ago

Favorite collaborator of Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach had also worked with Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, but also Elvis Costello.

Burt Bacharach ©BelgaImage

He died on Wednesday “peacefully, at home, with his family by his side”, confirmed his agent Tina Brausman to AFP, specifying that his death was due to natural causes.

Singer Dionne Warwick expressed her “sadness”, comparing the loss of her “dear friend and musical partner” to that of a “member of (her) family”. “I will miss him, too.”

Billy Corgan, historical leader of the Smashing Pumpkins, hailed a “titan of beautiful and natural song”, while Paul Stanley, of the band Kiss, spoke of “the treasure, composed of extraordinary songs, that he leaves us”.

“Hero”

Pianist passionate about jazz, born May 12, 1928 in Kansas City (Missouri), Burt Bacharach studied the art of composition at several American universities.

After having worked on the tours of Marlène Dietrich, he met the lyricist Hal David in 1957, with whom he formed a legendary duo. They discovered Dionne Warwick together and, between 1962 and 1968, they ranked 15 titles in the American Top 40.

Burt Bacharach and Hal David also won the hearts of Hollywood, winning two Oscars in 1970 for the music for the film “Butch Cassidy and the Kid” and its original song “Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head”. Burt Bacharach won a second in 1982.

In the early 1970s, a financial conflict broke the partnership between the two men, who would no longer work together.

A shower of tributes

The unforgettable melodies of Burt Bacharach leave an imprint on the music community, marking several generations of artists, many of whom expressed their emotion on Thursday.

He will work with more than 1,000 performers, for whom he creates romantic and melancholy melodies.

The Gallagher brothers, a famous duo from Oasis, paid tribute to him. “It was a pleasure to have known you”, wrote Noel Gallagher, the former guitarist-composer of the group, celebrating the memory of the “maestro”.

RIP Maestro. It was a pleasure to have known you. NGX pic.twitter.com/prDA0n4CzW

— Noel Gallagher (@NoelGallagher) February 9, 2023

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“Burt was a hero of mine, and had a big influence on my work“, reacted Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, “saddened” by the death of this “giant of the music industry”.

Everyone has at least two, even three of his songs in mind without knowing his name, proof by six.