Burt Bacharach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Burt Bacharach
Bacharach in 1972
Background information
Birth name	Burt Freeman Bacharach
Born	(1928-05-12)May 12, 1928 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Died	February 8, 2023(2023-02-08) (aged 94) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Orchestral pop easy listening lounge pop
Occupation(s)	Composer songwriter record producer pianist singer conductor
Instruments	Piano keyboards vocals
Years active	1950–2023

Burt Freeman Bacharach (May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, and record producer. He was known for creating hundreds of popular songs starting in the late 1950s. Many of his famous songs were written with lyricist Hal David.

Bacharach's music often featured unique chord changes, influenced by his background in jazz. He also used unusual groups of instruments for his small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced many of his own recordings. He won many awards, including three Academy Awards (Oscars), six Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award.

From 1961 to 1972, most of Bacharach and David's biggest hits were sung by Dionne Warwick. But they also worked with many other artists like Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Dusty Springfield, and the Carpenters.

Bacharach's songs have been recorded by over 1,000 different artists. Some of his co-written songs that topped the Billboard charts include "This Guy's in Love with You" (1968), "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (1969), and "That's What Friends Are For" (1986). By the time he passed away, he had written 73 Top 40 hits in the U.S. and 52 in the UK.

Burt Bacharach was a very important person in popular music. His songs influenced many later music styles. In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Bacharach and David among the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

Burt Bacharach's Early Life and Learning

Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, and finished high school in 1946. His mother, Irma, was an amateur painter and songwriter. She made sure Burt learned to play the piano when he was a child.

As a teenager, Bacharach loved jazz music. He didn't enjoy his classical piano lessons as much. He would sometimes use a fake ID to get into jazz clubs on 52nd Street in New York City. There, he listened to famous jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. Their style later influenced his songwriting.

Bacharach studied music at several schools, including McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. He learned about many types of music, including jazz harmony. This was very important for his unique pop songs. Some of his teachers were famous composers like Darius Milhaud.

Burt Bacharach's Music Career

Starting Out in the 1950s

In 1950, Bacharach joined the United States Army and served for two years. He played piano in officers' clubs in Germany and the U.S. After the army, he worked as a pianist and conductor for singers like Vic Damone and Marlene Dietrich. Working with Marlene Dietrich helped him become known as a conductor and arranger. They toured the world together until the early 1960s.

Bacharach with Marlene Dietrich in Jerusalem, 1960

In 1957, Bacharach met lyricist Hal David in New York City. They started writing songs together. Their first big success was "The Story of My Life" for Marty Robbins, which became a No. 1 country hit. Soon after, "Magic Moments" for Perry Como also became a hit.

Success in the 1960s

Bacharach and David became a strong songwriting team. In 1961, Bacharach discovered singer Dionne Warwick. They started working together, and Dionne recorded many of their songs. This became one of the most successful partnerships in music history.

Over the next 20 years, Dionne Warwick's recordings of Bacharach's songs sold over 12 million copies. She had 38 singles on the charts, with 22 in the Top 40. Some of their famous hits include "Walk On By", "Anyone Who Had a Heart", "Alfie", and "I Say a Little Prayer".

Bacharach also released his own album in 1965, Hit Maker! Burt Bacharach Plays His Hits. It was very popular in the UK. In 1967, he signed with A&M Records and continued to record his own music.

Bacharach with Stevie Wonder in the 1970s

Bacharach composed the music for the 1967 film Casino Royale. This included the song "The Look of Love", sung by Dusty Springfield.

In 1968, Bacharach and David worked on the Broadway musical Promises, Promises. It had two hit songs: the title tune and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again".

The year 1969 was very successful for them. They won an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They also won a Grammy for the Promises, Promises album.

1970s and 1980s Highlights

Bacharach continued to write and produce music for artists, TV, and films. He often appeared on TV and performed live. In 1971, Barbra Streisand was a guest on his TV special.

In the early 1980s, Bacharach started a new songwriting partnership with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager. They got married and created many big hits together. These included "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" for Christopher Cross, which won an Academy Award. They also wrote "That's What Friends Are For" in 1985. This song brought Bacharach and Dionne Warwick back together.

Dionne Warwick said about their reunion: "We realized we were more than just friends. We were family."

Other artists also brought back Bacharach's older hits in the 1980s and 1990s. Bacharach continued to perform concerts around the world, often with large orchestras.

1990s and Beyond

Bacharach performing in 2013

In 1998, Bacharach worked with Elvis Costello on the Grammy-winning album Painted from Memory. They worked together again on Costello's 2018 album, Look Now.

In 2005, Bacharach released his solo album At This Time. For this album, he wrote his own lyrics, some of which were about political topics.

In 2013, Bacharach's autobiography, Anyone Who Had a Heart, was published.

In 2016, at 88 years old, Bacharach composed music for the film A Boy Called Po. The movie was about a child with autism. Bacharach was inspired to write the music as a tribute to his daughter, Nikki, who had struggled with health issues. He said, "It touched me very much. I had gone through this with Nikki."

In 2018, he released "Live to See Another Day," a song dedicated to survivors of school gun violence. The money from the song went to a charity called Sandy Hook Promise.

In 2020, Bacharach worked with Daniel Tashian on the EP Blue Umbrella. This earned them a Grammy nomination.

Burt Bacharach in Film and Television

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bacharach appeared in many TV musical specials in the UK. Guests on these shows included Joel Grey, Dusty Springfield, and Barbra Streisand.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Bacharach had small acting roles in Hollywood movies. He appeared in all three Austin Powers movies. These films were inspired by his music for the 1967 James Bond parody film Casino Royale. The director, Mike Myers, said that Bacharach's song "The Look of Love" inspired the first Austin Powers movie.

Bacharach also appeared on the TV show American Idol in 2006. An entire episode was dedicated to his music, and he helped coach the contestants.

Burt Bacharach's Unique Musical Style

Bacharach's music is known for its unusual chord changes, influenced by jazz. It also has striking rhythmic patterns, changing meters, and frequent key changes. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his own music.

His style is sometimes called "easy listening," but it's actually quite complex. The arrangements are very precise, with sudden changes in rhythm. Bacharach used instruments like flugelhorns, flutes, and strings to create his unique "Bacharach Sound."

He explained that he wanted to make songs interesting by mixing vocals and instruments. He aimed for "peaks and valleys" in his music, going from explosive to quiet. While he didn't often sing on his records, he enjoyed singing during live performances. He would often conduct the orchestra while playing the piano.

Burt Bacharach's Personal Life

With his second wife, actress Angie Dickinson, in 1965

Bacharach was married four times. His second marriage was to actress Angie Dickinson. They had a daughter named Nikki.

His third marriage was to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager. They worked on many songs together and adopted a son named Cristopher.

Bacharach married his fourth wife, Jane Hansen, in 1993. They had two children, Oliver and Raleigh.

Burt Bacharach passed away from natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, California, on February 8, 2023. He was 94 years old.

Awards and Honors

Burt Bacharach received many important awards throughout his career.

Awards

Special Honors

• 1972: Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• 1997: Received the Grammy Trustees Award with Hal David.
• 1997: Featured in a PBS "Great Performances" biography.
• 2001: Awarded the Polar Music Prize in Sweden.
• 2008: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
• 2012: Awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song with Hal David by the Library of Congress.

Television and Film Appearances

• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
• Austin Powers: The Spy Who *** Me (1999)
• Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
• American Idol (2006)

Discography

Albums

• Hit Maker!: Burt Bacharach Plays the Burt Bacharach Hits (1965)
• What's New Pussycat? (film soundtrack) (1965)
• Reach Out (1967)
• Casino Royale (film soundtrack) (1967)
• Make It Easy on Yourself (1969)
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Film Soundtrack) (1969)
• Promises, Promises (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (1969)
• Burt Bacharach (1971)
• Lost Horizon (Film Soundtrack) (1973)
• Woman (1979)
• Arthur (Film Soundtrack) (1981)
• Painted from Memory with Elvis Costello (1998)
• Isley Meets Bacharach: Here I Am with Ronald Isley (2003)
• At This Time (2005)
• A Boy Called Po (Film Soundtrack) (2017)
• Blue Umbrella (5-Song EP with Daniel Tashian) (2020)

Theatrical Works

• Promises, Promises (1968): musical – composer
• The Look of Love (2003): musical revue – composer
• Some Lovers (2011) – composer with Steven Sater

Other Recordings (as composer or musician)

• For Dionne Warwick: Alfie, I Say a Little Prayer
• For Aretha Franklin: I Say a Little Prayer
• For Elvis Costello: Painted from Memory (1998), Look Now (2018)

Tribute Albums (music by Burt Bacharach)

• What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David by Stan Getz (1968)
• The Sweetest Punch: The New Songs of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach Arranged by Bill Frisell by Bill Frisell (1999)
• The Look of Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook by Trijntje Oosterhuis (2006)
• This Girl's In Love (A Bacharach & David Songbook) by Rumer (2016)

Images for kids

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  Bacharach in 1972

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  Bacharach with Marlene Dietrich in Jerusalem, 1960

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  Bacharach with Stevie Wonder in the 1970s

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  Bacharach performing in 2013

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  With his second wife, actress Angie Dickinson, in 1965

See also

In Spanish: Burt Bacharach para niños