Timeline Burt Bacharach

American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist, widely regarded as one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular music. Working primarily with lyricist Hal David, he wrote dozens of hit songs including Walk on By, I Say a Little Prayer and Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head. He won six Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and charted 73 songs in the American Top 40.

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Burt Bacharach 15

1928 Burt Bacharach born in Kansas City Born Burt Freeman Bacharach in Kansas City, Missouri. Raised in New York City by his mother, a pianist, and his father, a syndicated newspaper columnist.
1950 – 1956 Musical Studies and Army Service Studied at the Mannes School of Music, McGill University and the Music Academy of the West under Darius Milhaud. Served in the US Army, playing piano and arranging music.
1957 Meeting Hal David Met lyricist Hal David, beginning one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in popular music history.
1958 – 1961 Working with Marlene Dietrich Worked as conductor and arranger for Marlene Dietrich's nightclub shows and tours.
1961 First Major Hit Scored his first major songwriting hit with Tower of Strength for Gene McDaniels, beginning an extraordinary run of chart success.
1962 – 1968 Hit Factory with Dionne Warwick With Hal David, wrote a remarkable run of hit songs for Dionne Warwick including Walk on By, I Say a Little Prayer, Do You Know the Way to San Jose and Anyone Who Had a Heart. Fifteen titles reached the American Top 40.
1965 What's New Pussycat? Composed the score for the comedy film What's New Pussycat?, earning his first Academy Award nomination. The title song, performed by Tom Jones, became a worldwide hit.
1967 Casino Royale and Alfie Composed scores for the James Bond spoof Casino Royale and the Michael Caine drama Alfie, demonstrating his range as a film composer.
1968 – 1970 Promises, Promises Revival The Broadway musical Promises, Promises, with lyrics by Hal David, ran for over 1,200 performances and earned Bacharach a Tony nomination.
1968 – 1970 Promises, Promises on Broadway Composed the score for the Broadway musical Promises, Promises, based on Billy Wilder's The Apartment, which ran for over 1,200 performances.
1969 – 1970 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Won two Academy Awards for the score of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the song Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head.
1981 – 1982 Arthur Won an Academy Award for Best That You Can Do, the theme from the film Arthur, co-written with then-wife Carole Bayer Sager.
1986 That's What Friends Are For Won a Grammy for Song of the Year for That's What Friends Are For, performed by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder as an AIDS charity single.
2012 Gershwin Prize Together with Hal David, received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the nation's highest honour for songwriters.
2023 Burt Bacharach dies in Los Angeles Died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 94.