Have you ever typed “how old is burt bacharach” into a search bar, only to find a pile of conflicting dates? It can feel like chasing shadows when fans try to pin down his birth year and legacy.
He was born on May 12, 1928, and died on February 8, 2023, at age 94. We will show his time at Mannes School of Music, his U.S. Army service, and the jazz lessons he took from Darius Milhaud.
You will see how his work rose from student recitals to Grammy awards. You will learn why songs like “I Say a Little Prayer” still shine today. Keep reading.
Key Takeaways
- Burt Bacharach entered this world on May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, and he passed away on February 8, 2023, in Los Angeles at age 94.
- He studied classical piano and harmony under Darius Milhaud at the Mannes School of Music, then earned a music degree at McGill University.
- He teamed with lyricist Hal David in New York’s Brill Building and wrote over 50 charting hits, including “Walk on By,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.”
- He won three Academy Awards (1969, 1982), six competitive Grammys, the 2008 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2001 Polar Music Prize, and the 2011 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize.
- He shaped pop music with off-beat rhythms, rich string parts, and jazz touches that artists from Dionne Warwick to Oasis still cite today.
Early Life and Background
Burt Bacharach was born on May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, to parents who loved jazz. He took classical piano lessons, spent afternoons tapping out melodies, and found his first voice at the family piano.
When and where was Burt Bacharach born?
An old calendar marks May 12, 1928, as the day burt bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His family moved to Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, when he was still a child.
How did Burt Bacharach’s childhood influence his music?
Little Burt Bacharach watched his mother, Irma Freeman, paint vivid canvases in their living room. His father, a sports star, cheered at local fields, and young Burt soaked up that energy.
Classical piano lessons began at age five, he tapped out rhythms on the kitchen table, and soon after he added cello and drums to his routine. Family meals became jam sessions, as he banged a drumstick on the chair, or plucked cello strings for fun.
That playful noise taught him to weave melodies from chaos.
Jazz records spun on a crackling player in his childhood home. Charlie Parker roared through his speakers, Dizzy Gillespie blared brass accents, and Thelonious Monk spun odd chords.
“‘Listen to these riffs,’” young Burt urged his friends during recess. He mimicked those solos on a toy trumpet. Those bursts of brass and piano pushed him to twist chords.
That sound later colored pop hits like Walk on By and The Look of Love. Syncopation became his signature touch amid Brill Building sessions. That early jazz diet steered him to blend orchestral and pop styles.
Musical Education and Early Career
He learned piano tricks at a New York music academy, picking up classical scales and jazz riffs. He cut his teeth in a military band, sketching early charts that hinted at the lush orchestral pop he would shape.
Where did Burt Bacharach study music?
Burt Bacharach studied at the Mannes School of Music in New York. There, he soaked up classical piano lessons, theory sessions, and harmony drills under composer Darius Milhaud.
He then headed to McGill University in Montreal to earn a music degree. He honed composition skills and orchestral arranging. This training pointed him toward his Brill Building career.
How did Burt Bacharach start his music career?
He served as a US Army dance band arranger from 1950 to 1952 in Germany, playing for Vic Damone and Marlene Dietrich. There, he built his arranging skills in barracks and clubs. Soon after, he joined the Brill Building in New York and teamed with lyricist Hal David to craft pop songs.
That initial tune, “The Story of My Life,” climbed to number one in the UK in 1957, after Marty Robbins first recorded it in the US. Michael Holliday brought it to British listeners with a smooth voice.
Iconic Collaborations
At a piano in a famous songwriting hub, Burt Bacharach and Hal David forged pop gold. Dionne Warwick then brought those songs to life with her smooth tone, turning demos into classics.
What was Burt Bacharach’s partnership with Hal David like?
Burt Bacharach and Hal David formed a hit duo in the 1960s. They wrote The Story of My Life, which hit US Top 20 and UK No. 1. Magic Moments came next, and Perry Como sang it. Work took place in the Brill Building, fueled by Bacharach’s classical piano lessons.
Their songs for Dionne Warwick topped charts and still sound fresh. The 1973 musical Lost Horizon flopped, and legal fights followed. Dionne Warwick sued over a lack of new material.
Which notable projects did Burt Bacharach do with Dionne Warwick?
Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach met at the Brill Building on West 48th Street. Bacharach sketched tunes drawing on his classical piano lessons and Hal David’s words. The pair racked up 39 consecutive US hits in ten years.
Warwick sang 20 American Top 40 hits, seven of which climbed into the Top 10. They gave us “Walk on By,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Trains and Boats and Planes,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “Promises, Promises.” Aretha Franklin climbed into the US Top 10 with a cover of “I Say a Little Prayer.”.
Warwick sued after David and Bacharach split, due to a lack of fresh material. They reunited in 1985 to cut “That’s What Friends Are For.” That charity single hit No. 1 and raised $1.5 million for AmFar.
It proved their magic still worked.
Legendary Compositions
He wrote catchy songs that climbed the charts, mixing pop beats with lush strings, a style he honed at a New York music conservatory. He earned a national music honor and several Grammy Awards, proof that his melodies still thrill fans.
What are some of Burt Bacharach’s biggest hits?
Fans still hum these catchy tunes today. Burt Bacharach teamed with Hal David to craft songs that shaped pop music.
- Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head: BJ Thomas sang this song in 1969 for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and it won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
- Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do): Christopher Cross took this mellow tune to number one on Billboard in 1981 for Arthur, and it earned a Grammy Award.
- (They Long to Be) Close to You: sibling duo The Carpenters took this track to US number one and UK number six in 1970, and it won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance.
- What’s New, Pussycat?: Welsh vocalist Tom Jones hit the top ten with this cheeky song in 1965, making it one of Bacharach’s first international smashes.
- The Look of Love: Dusty Springfield brought sultry charm to this slow jam in 1967, it featured in Casino Royale, and it became a jazz pop standard.
- Magic Moments: Perry Como turned this upbeat tune into a radio staple in 1957, and it climbed to number four on Billboard’s Hot 100.
- Anyone Who Had a Heart: Dionne Warwick first recorded this ballad in 1963, and then Cilla Black took it to number one on the UK chart.
How did Burt Bacharach influence pop and orchestral music?
Critics praise Burt Bacharach’s layered tunes. Darius Milhaud taught him at Mannes School of Music. Students found classical piano lessons in his melody craft. Producers blend jazz, rhythm and blues, bossa nova, and traditional pop in his songs.
Hal David and Bacharach scored hits like Make It Easy on Yourself and I Say a Little Prayer.
Orchestras hum along with his rich strings and plaintive trumpet sounds. His scores set a new bar for film themes in Casino Royale and Austin Powers. Noel Gallagher spotted his chord moves in Oasis’s “Half The World Away,” echoing This Guy’s in Love With You.
Grammy Awards and Library of Congress Gershwin Prize honored his pop sophistication. Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, and Luther Vandross keep his work alive on stage.
How has Burt Bacharach influenced pop music and created timeless hits?
Burt Bacharach changed pop music with new tunes and smart beats. He chalked up over 50 hits in US and UK charts. British stars hit No. 1 with his songs. He wrote tracks with Dionne Warwick and Hal David.
He teamed up with Adele, Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre to give his songs a fresh spin. A 1996 TV program, Burt Bacharach: This Is Now, highlighted his craft.
An all-star show, One Amazing Night, lit up in 1997. It drew Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, Chrissie Hynde, Sheryl Crow and Luther Vandross to one stage. Brian Wilson, Noel Gallagher, Diane Warren, David Arnold, Dave Davies and Tim Burgess voiced their praise.
Fans spotted backstage clips in archives.
What major awards and recognitions did Burt Bacharach receive?
His work won top honors in film and pop. His tunes picked up awards for melody and score.
- Academy Awards (Oscars) came three times. He earned Best Theme Song and Best Original Score in 1969 for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” and Best Original Song in 1982 for “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”.
- Golden Globe Awards arrived twice for his film scores.
- Grammy Awards ringed his shelves with six competitive wins. He also won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 and Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2006 for At This Time.
- Polar Music Prize reached his list in 2001 as a top honor from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
- Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song landed in 2011 to honor his pop hits, many co-written with Hal David for Dionne Warwick.
Final Years and Legacy
He died at 94 on February 8, 2023, yet his tunes keep popping up from Austin Powers films to Library of Congress ceremonies—keep reading to see how his music still shapes today’s hits.
When did Burt Bacharach pass away, and at what age?
Burt Bacharach passed away at his Los Angeles residence on February 8, 2023, due to natural causes.
He was 94, leaving behind a legacy of Grammy Awards, hits like Walk On By, and timeless scores that shaped pop music.
What is Burt Bacharach’s lasting influence on modern music?
His melodies and arrangements became templates for pop sophistication and complexity. Bacharach influenced multiple genres. Four acts like British group Oasis, alternative band R.E.M., trip hop ensemble Massive Attack, and garage duo The White Stripes cite his chord moves.
Film scores and commercials echo his bright horn lines, jazz-tinged chords.
Collaborators from hal david to dionne warwick show his cross-generational appeal. Grand stages fill with fans at tribute concerts and viewers watch documentaries on Painted From Memory or God Give Me Strength.
Awards include the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize and many grammy awards. Music schools still teach his pieces in classical piano lessons and theory classes. This broad reach proves his work fuels modern pop hits.
Takeaways
Fans still hum his hits, and tap their feet to those jazz twists. He reached 94 years before he left us. He shook pop with odd meters, and bright harmonies. He won an Academy Award, Grammy and a prize from the Library of Congress.
He taught us to feel hope through What the World Needs Now Is Love. He left children who guard his spark. Music from the Brill Building and Mannes School of Music lives on in every new singer.
FAQs
1. How old is Burt Bacharach?
He was born on May 12, 1928, and he passed away on February 8, 2023, at age 94.
2. Who wrote lyrics for his hits?
Hal David teamed with the composer for “Walk on By” and “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” and Carole Bayer Sager joined him on “That’s What Friends Are For” and “On My Own.”
3. Which singers made his songs famous?
Dionne Warwick gave life to “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Don’t Make Me Over.” Perry Como, The Carpenters, Tom Jones, Marlene Dietrich, Luther Vandross, and Elvis Costello also turned his tunes into classics.
4. What are his top songs?
“Walk on By,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “Only Love Can Break a Heart” rank among his most loved works.
5. What big awards did he win?
The maestro earned multiple Grammy Awards and snagged the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
6. Where did he train in music?
He took classical piano lessons at Mannes School of Music, studied at McGill University, and served in the U.S. Army band.
