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Pop musician Burt Bacharach is dead at 94

Bacharach died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his publicist Tina Brausam.

• February 9, 2023
Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach [Credit: LA times]

Legendary pop composer and occasional singer Burt Bacharach is dead. He was 94. 

Bacharach died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his publicist Tina Brausam who confirmed his death, saying he died of natural causes.

His music career peaked in the sixties when he collaborated with lyricist Hal David to produce hit songs like “Raindrops keep falling on my head” and “Promises, Promises.”

Bacharach won two Academy awards for best song for “Raindrops keep falling on my head” he co-wrote with Hal David in 1970. He also won an Oscar for best original score for a nonmusical motion picture in 1969. 

In the course of his music career, Bacharach picked up seven Grammy awards in the pop category. 

In his autobiography, Bacharach claimed that as a songwriter, he has been luckier than most songwriters.

“Most composers sit in a room by themselves, and nobody knows what they look like,” he wrote. “People may have heard some of their songs, but they never get to see them onstage or on television.” Because he was also a performer, he noted, “I get to make a direct connection with people.”

“Whether it’s just a handshake or being stopped on the street and asked for an autograph or having someone comment on a song I’ve written,” Bacharach added, “that connection is really meaningful and powerful for me.”

Songwriters and music lovers have continued to pay their tributes since the news broke. Oscar-winning songwriter Dianne Warren said in a tweet that the field has “lost its Beethoven”. 

Bacharach is survived by his third wife, Jane Hansen, and their children, Oliver and Raleigh. He is also survived by his son Cristopher from his second marriage. 

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