Program Books/Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach

composer

Burt Bacharach is one of the world’s most acclaimed, award-winning composer/songwriters. His mu­sic is as diverse as his audiences, spanning generations and continents, as he is celebrated both as a pop culture icon and one of the world’s greatest contemporary composers. Bacharach’s credits read like the world’s favorite radio stations’ playlist: “Alfie,” “Arthur’s Theme,” “Close To You,” “Do You Know The Way To San Jose,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” “This Guy’s In Love With You,” “Walk On By,” “What The World Needs Now Is Love,” and “Wishin’ And Hopin’” are among just his 48 Top 10 hits and nine Number One songs. Bacharach and Hal David were the recipients of the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The prize is awarded to musicians whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. Bacharach and David received the Library’s Gershwin Medal in May 2012 at an all-star tribute in Washington, DC. Bacharach’s memoir, Anyone Who Had a Heart, was released in May 2013. For the first time in his long and astonishing career, Bacharach tells his story of love, heartbreak, success, failure, and unbridled ambition in Anyone Who Had a Heart, which is named after one of many songs Bacharach and David wrote for Dionne Warwick. The memoir was published by HarperCollins. Bacharach composed his first film score in 16 years for John Asher’s autism-based drama film Po (released in April 2016). Po tells the story of a recently widowed father struggling to raise his 10-year-old son who has autism. Bacharach and Daniel Tashian released two new songs—“Moon Over Wichita” and “Heartbreak Storms”—via Big Yellow Dog Music in April 2022. The songs are a continuation of their Grammy nominated Blue Umbrella EP, released in 2020, and Blue Umbrella (The Complete Recordings), which was released in 2021 and featured four never-before-heard songs. Bacharach and Steven Sater’s Some Lovers, featuring vocal performances from some of Broadway’s most beloved co-stars, was released on November 26, 2021. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.