Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on February 10th, 2023

Burt Bacharach, one of the most accomplished pop music composers of the 20th century, died on Feb. 8 at home in Los Angeles of natural causes, his publicist Tina Brausam said the following day. He was 94. The musical maestro behind 52 top 40 hits including "(They Long To Be) Close To You," "Alfie," "Walk on By," "Promises, Promises," "The Look of Love," "What the World Needs Now is Love" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?," Mr. Bacharach had an untouchable run in the 1960s and 1970s with a wide range of pop, R&B and soul artists. Working with lyricist partner Hal David, Mr. Bacharach and David were dubbed the "Rodgers & Hart of the '60s," with a unique style featuring instantly hummable melodies and atypical arrangements that folded in everything from jazz and pop to Brazilian grooves and rock. Many of their songs were popularized by Dionne Warwick, whose singing style inspired Mr. Bacharach to experiment with new rhythms and harmonies, composing such innovative melodies as "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "I Say a Little Prayer." His songs were sung by such major artists as Dusty Springfield, Gene Pitney, Tom Jones, the Carpenters and B.J. Thomas, among hundreds of others. Mr. Bacharach ventured into motion picture songwriting, creating indelible soundtrack songs such as "The Look of Love" and the No. 1 hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" during this fertile period in the 1960s. The Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid theme song "Raindrops" earned Mr. Bacharach two Oscars (Best Score and Best Theme Song) as well as a Grammy for Best Score. Mr. Bacharach and David team scored films as well in the '70s, doing the music for Lost Horizon and Howard the Duck, after which they separated for a short duration. Handsome and suave, Mr. Bacharach was somewhat of a matinee idol. His longtime marriage to actress Angie Dickinson fueled that "hip image." He was also known for his ownership and breeding of thoroughbred race horses for more than 30 years and his frequent attendance at the Kentucky Derby. One of his horses, Burt's Heartlight No. One (named for a top 5 1982 hit collaboration with Neil Diamond), was a champion in 1983 and another, Soul of the Matter, was a Breeder's cup starter in 1994 and 1995. Actor/comedian Mike Myers spoofed Mr. Bacharach's ladies man/raconteur reputation in the first Austin Powers movie, in which the composer had a cameo. He collaborated with Elvis Costello on a version of "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" on the soundtrack to the 1999 Powers sequel, The Spy Who Shagged Me (also appearing in the film) and, in 2002, he was featured in the credit roll of the third Powers film, which also had a remake of "Alfie" as "Austin," sung by the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs. Born Burt Freeman Bacharach in Kansas City, Mo. on May 12, 1928, Mr. Bacharach attended Montreal's McGill University, where he earned a B.A. in music in 1948. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War and was shipped off to Germany, where he met singer Vic Damone and toured the First Army area as a"concert pianist. After the service, he moved to New York and played in clubs. He met Hal David while both were working in the legendary songwriting mecca the Brill Building. He published his autobiography, Anyone Who Had a Heart, in 2013. Far from retiring in his advanced age, the eight-time Grammy winner performed at the 2015 Glastonbury Festival in the UK, played with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra in March 2016 and was slated to perform for an intimate audience at the June 2016 Caudwell Children Butterfly Ball fundraiser in London. His 2016 tour schedule included a variety of other high-profile gigs, including stops at Vienna's Jazz Fest Wien, the Monte Carlo Sporting Summer Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival and the Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival in the Dutch Antilles in September. He is survived by his adopted son, Christopher, as well as two children with his fourth wife, Jane Hansen, Oliver and daughter Raleigh. Reacting to his death Dionne Warwick said Mr. Bacharach's passing was like losing family to her: "...we laughed a lot and had our run ins, but always found a way to let each other know our family, like roots, were the most important part of our relationship. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, letting them know he is now peacefully resting and I too will miss him." Also paying tribute to the musician were Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson ("a hero of mine and very influential on my work") and Mr. Bacharach's wife from 1982-91 and fellow songwriter, Carole Bayer Sager ("A great man, a great composer, In the end a loving friend"). - Billboard, 2/9/23.