Burt Bacharach, composer of classic Hollywood hits, dies aged 94

Burt Bacharach, the acclaimed songwriter and composer behind dozens of classic pop hits from the 1950s to 1980s, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”, “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and the subject of the movie “Arthur”, died, as a family member informed this Thursday (9) to the CNN .

He was 94 years old.

An important figure in 20th century pop music, Bacharach scored major hits in a variety of genres, from Top 40 to country to rhythm and blues and movie soundtracks. He has written hit songs for a wide range of artists including Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, the Carpenters and Christopher Cross.

Many of their songs have been classified, perhaps unfairly, as “easy listening” – a mellow, old-fashioned style of music with few rough edges. Most were far removed from the sounds of rock and roll, funk, disco or other popular genres of their day.

And yet Bacharach, with longtime collaborator Hal David, produced many of the most catchy songs of the era. Many of them – “Say a Little Prayer”, “Walk on By”, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” – became hits for Warwick, one of the best-selling female singers of the 1960s.

Bacharach also wrote major hits like Perry Como’s “Magic Moments”, Shirelles’ “Baby It’s You”, “What’s New Pussycat?” by Tom Jones, “What the World Needs Now is Love” by Jackie DeShannon, “Heartlight” by Neil Diamond and the Patti Labelle-Michael McDonald duet “On My Own”.

One of their biggest and most impactful hits was “That’s What Friends Are For”, the charity collaboration between Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder, which topped the charts in 1986 and raised millions for AIDS research.

“Never be scared of something you might whistle,” Bacharach told NPR’s Scott Simon in 2013.

Over the course of his long career, Bacharach has won nearly every major music award, including six Grammys, three Academy Awards, and – with Hal David – the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, bestowed by the Library of Congress. In 2008, the Grammys proclaimed him music’s greatest living composer.

“Burt’s passing is like losing a family member,” Warwick said in a statement. CNN this Thursday.

“These words I was asked to write are being written with sadness for the loss of my dear friend and my musical partner. On the lighter side, we laughed a lot and had our disagreements, but we always found a way to let each other know our family roots were the most important part of our relationship. My sincere condolences go out to his family that he is now resting in peace and I will miss him too.”

British musician Thomas Burgess also paid tribute.

“One of the greatest songwriting legacies in history of all time,” wrote Burgess. “Goodbye Burt Bacharach, you were a king.”

Susanna Hoffs, singer and co-founder of The Bangles, tweeted a photo of Bacharach, writing: “Peace and love, Burt Bacharach.”

Some of his biggest hits were written for movies.

Bacharach composed and arranged music for the 1967 James Bond spoof “Casino Royale”, which included Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love”,

He also wrote “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” for “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” the 1969 western starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Sung by BJ Thomas, it topped the charts after featuring prominently in the film.

Later in his career, Bacharach cemented his status as a ’60s icon, appearing as himself in all three “Austin Powers” films.

He also collaborated on an acclaimed and Grammy-winning album, “Painted From Memory”, in 1998 with English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello.

“Burt Bacharach and Hal David songs scouring my childhood and soundtracking every cool cocktail of the day,” singer and former teen idol Shaun Cassidy wrote on Twitter.

“Their work with Dionne Warwick is unsurpassed, and Bacharach with Elvis Costello? Forget. Listen to “God Give Me Strength” right now. #RIPBurtBacharach.”

Bacharach married actress Angie Dickinson and later lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, with whom he wrote “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”. Christopher Cross’s hit 1981 comedy “Arthur” won an Academy Award the following year.