Only Lennon-McCartney, Carole King and a handful of others rivalled Bacharach’s genius for instantly catchy songs. He was 94
Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and dozens of other hits, has died at 94.
Bacharach was both an innovator and throwback, and his career seemed to run parallel to the rock era. He grew up on jazz and classical music and had little taste for rock when he was breaking into the business in the 1950s. His sensibility often seemed more aligned with Tin Pan Alley than with Bob Dylan, John Lennon and other writers who later emerged, but rock composers appreciated the depth of his seemingly old-fashioned sensibility.
In his life, and in his music, he stood apart. Fellow songwriter Sammy Cahn liked to joke that the smiling, wavy-haired Bacharach was the first composer he ever knew who didn’t look like a dentist. Bacharach was a “swinger,” as they called such men in his time, whose many romances included actor Angie Dickinson, to whom he was married from 1965-80, and Sager, his wife from 1982-1991.
He was married to his first wife, Paula Stewart, from 1953-58, and married for a fourth time, to Jane Hansen, in 1993. He is survived by Hansen, as well as his children Oliver, Raleigh and Cristopher, Brausam said. He was preceded in death by his daughter with Dickinson, Nikki Bacharach. He was a poor student in high school, but managed to gain a spot at the music conservatory at McGill University in Montreal. He wrote his first song at McGill and listened for months to Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song.” Music also may have saved Bacharach’s life. He was drafted into the Army in the late 1940s and was still on active duty during the Korean War. But officers stateside soon learned of his gifts and wanted him around.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of 'Walk on By,' 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose' and dozens of other hits, has died at 94. Bacharach died Wednesday at home in Los Angeles of natural causes, publicist Tina Brausam said Thursday.
Read more »
Burt Bacharach, legendary pop music composer, dead at 94Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner, has died at 94.
Read more »
The Jayhawks brings eclectic catalogue of songs to Block HeaterMinneapolis\u002Dborn act Jayhawks are at Arts Commons Jack Singer Concert Hall as part of Calgary Folk Music Festival\u0027s Block Heater on Feb. 12.
Read more »
'SONGS FOR MURDERED SISTERS': Joshua Hopkins sings for his sister Nathalie Warmerdam, killed in 2015 Ottawa Valley triple murderIt’s sure to be an emotional journey for Hopkins, the Pembroke\u002Dborn, Houston\u002Dbased singer, in part because he’s returning to the same venue where he heard the news of Warmerdam’s death. In 2015, he was working at the NAC \u002D playing Figaro in an Opera Lyra production of The Barber of Seville \u002D when his sister lost her life, one of the three women killed by the same man in Renfrew County.
Read more »
Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of 'Walk on By,' 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose' and dozens of other hits, has died at 94. Bacharach died Wednesday at home in Los Angeles of natural causes, publicist Tina Brausam said Thursday.
Read more »
Burt Bacharach, legendary pop music composer, dead at 94Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner, has died at 94.
Read more »