On Thursday morning, publicists Tina Brausam announced that Burt Bacharach died in his home in Los Angeles of “natural causes.” He was 94 years old.
His specialty was writing music scores for movies, but his music went far beyond the silver screen.
Hit songs such as “Walk on By” and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” helped to push Bacharach to fame. He eventually won eight Grammys and three Oscars. Few music artists experienced his level of success.
A favorite score developer in Hollywood for many years, Bacharach won Academy Awards in 1970 for the score of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and in 1982 for the theme from “Arthur.”
Other movie soundtrack hits include the songs “Alfie,” “What’s New, Pussycat?” and the 1967 James Bond spoof “Casino Royale.”
A versatile artist, Bacharach wrote for many music artists, including Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, BJ Thomas, Dusty Springfield and Tom Jones.
Music legends such as Elvis Presley often covered Bacharach’s music as it seemed to transcend music styles.
Bacharach composed ballads, instrumental scores, pop music, country songs and more. Recently, his versatility was noted when he collaborated in composing work with rapper Dr. Dre.
Bacharach is survived by his wife, Jane Hansen, and his children, Oliver, Raleigh and Cristopher. He was preceded in death by his daughter and former wives, Angie Dickinson and Nikki Bacharach.
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