Bacharach, Burt (1929– )

US songwriter and pianist. In 1957 he began a songwriting partnership with the lyricist Hal David (1921– ) that was to last for nearly 20 years. Popular throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, they wrote many film scores, for example Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), featuring the single ‘Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head’; and hits for major pop artists such as ‘Do You Know the Way to San José?’ and ‘Walk on By’ for Dione Warwick.

His soundtrack for Butch Cassidy earned him an Academy Award for Best Score and Best Song. Other film scores include What's New Pussycat (1965), Alfie (1966), and Arthur (1981).

His popularity was revived in the 1990s by the discovery of his music by another generation, and his picture appeared on the cover of the number-one album Definitely Maybe (1998) by the English group Oasis. His career success also continued, and he recorded the highly acclaimed album Painted from Memory with Elvis Costello in 1998.