Burt Bacharach
A composer who fused cool jazz chords with pop melodicism, crafting sophisticated, intricate songs that defined the sound of 1960s and 70s romance.
1928–2023 (age 95)·American composer and songwriter·Birthday: May 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
Burt Bacharach's music is the sound of urbane emotion, a sophisticated blend of complex harmonies and unforgettable melodies that seemed to drift from a penthouse suite. Trained in jazz and classical music, he brought an unheard-of level of compositional intricacy to the pop charts. In partnership with lyricist Hal David and muse Dionne Warwick, he created a staggering run of hits—'Walk On By,' 'I Say a Little Prayer,' 'What the World Needs Now'—that were both instantly catchy and structurally adventurous, filled with unexpected key changes and shifting time signatures. His work for films, like the Oscar-winning 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head,' showcased his gift for matching music to mood. More than just a hitmaker, Bacharach was a meticulous arranger and producer, shaping every element of the sound. His elegant, sometimes melancholic, compositions captured the complexities of adult love and longing, elevating pop songwriting to an art form.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Burt was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Burt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Burt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2023Died at 95
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Won six Grammy Awards and three Academy Awards, including two Oscars for Best Original Song ('Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head,' 'Arthur's Theme').
- Forged one of pop music's most successful songwriting partnerships with lyricist Hal David, producing dozens of hits for Dionne Warwick and others.
- Composed and produced the classic 'Walk On By,' a landmark recording that became a signature song for Dionne Warwick.
- Received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress in 2012.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled tennis player in his youth and briefly considered pursuing it professionally.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he played piano in officers' clubs and formed his first band.
He was married to actress and lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, with whom he also wrote several hit songs.
His song 'I'll Never Fall in Love Again' was written while he was recovering from pneumonia.
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No, not just for some, but for everyone.”
