Burt Freeman Bacharach

One of the most important pop songwriters of the 20th Century, the composer and songwriter died at age 94 at his home in Los Angeles. He was known for his pop song compositions, many of which he collaborated with co-writer Hal David and singer Dionne Warwick. He wrote at least 52 top 40 hits, according to his website, including No. 1 hits like “This Guy’s in Love With You,” sung by Herb Alpert, and “That’s What Friends Are For,” sung first by Rod Stewart and then by Warwick to raise funds for AIDS research. Other artists Bacharach wrote or produced for include Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Elvis Costello and Patti LaBelle. He won three Academy Awards—two for best original song, and one for best score—as well as six Grammy Awards and one Emmy Award. Bacharach has frequently been honored as one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century and of all time. He was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1972 and won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Bacharach and David as the 32nd-best songwriters of all time, praising David’s “knack for matching wistful sentiments to Bacharach's unconventional jazz chords and constantly shifting time signatures.” Warwick said in a statement Bacharach’s death felt like “losing a family member.” On Twitter, Paul McCartney praised Bacharach’s work as distinctive and different from others in the 1960s and 1970s, calling him “an inspiration.”