Four decades into one of songwriting's most successful and honored careers --with scores of “firsts” and “#1s”.

Burt Bacharach's music continues to set industry records and trends. His identity ranges from one of music's greatest composers to a ~‘cult celebrity” for the Easy Listening set in London . Bacharach's most recent projects range from concert tributes on TNT, BBC and PBS, to a collaboration with Elvis Costello, “Painted From Memory,” a CD of their compositions released in Fall, 1998, and a three CD set of some of his greatest hits.

DAILY VARIETY named him the “American Music Legend” of 1998, noting “from hit songs to film scores, Burt Bacharach has turned pop conventions on their ear.”

The soundtrack from “My Best Friend's Wedding,” featured many Bacharach classics (including the single, “I Say A Utile Prayer” recorded by Diana King, which topped the singles charts) and hit the Platinum sales mark. A recent A&M compilation, “The Look of Love,” entered the U.K. compilation charts at #6 in 1996. With the special reverence the British hold for this gifted musician, Gabrielle's recent cover of a Burt Bacharach -- Hal David hit, “Walk On By,” entered the U.K. Top Ten at #9, in 1997. Bacharach and Costello were nominated for a Grammy Award in 1997 for their collaboration, “God Give Me Strength” (from the movie, “Grace of My Heart”). In 1997, he and long-time collaborator Hal David received the Trustees Award from NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) as part of the Grammy Awards.

Bacharach currently divides his time between performing live concerts worldwide including some with Elvis Costello and Dionne Warwick and writing. Bacharach's songs are included in albums by Barbara Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Maureen McGovern, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond, Dionne Warwick and Tevin Campbell. He was the subject of a PBS “Great Performances” biography, “Burt Bacharach: This is Now,” which aired in May 1997.

In April 1998, TNT launched its highly-acclaimed “TNT Masters Series” with “Bacharach: One Amazing Night,” a special tribute show with many of today's hottest stars -- including Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Wynonna Judd, Ben Folds Five, Mike Myers, Dionne Warwick and Luther Vandross -- performing his songs. That program will air as a PBS special in December, 1998.

One of his standards, “Close To You,” was recorded by the Cranberries for the “If I Were A Carpenter” tribute album to Karen and Richard Carpenter. Michael Stipe of R.E.M recently covered a Bacharach song, as have English notables Massive Attack and Paul Weller. Two more of his songs, “Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head” and “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” were featured in the movie, “Forrest Gump” and on its top-selling soundtrack album.

Along with Lennon and McCartney, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, Bacharach is a legend in popular music. He revolutionized the music of the 1960s and remains one of America 's most popular songwriters, bracketed with such famous names as Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. As a record producer, he ranks with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Phil Spector and a handful of tough-minded musical visionaries who pioneered new forms of rhythm and blues during the early ‘60s. His music ranges from rock, jazz and soul to highly polished Broadway show scores; and few writers can match his track record of top 10 successes during the last four decades.

His music in the 1980s made as much of an impact as his early songs. Two of the songs Bacharach co-wrote and co-produced with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager captured the #1 positions on three of the most prestigious year-end record charts in 1986. ‘That's What Friends Are For” (recorded by Dionne Warwick with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Gladys Knight) was the #1 song on both the “Hot 100/Pop” and “Adult Contemporary” charts for 1986, and it received the Grammy for “Song of the Year.'

Also, “On My Own” (recorded by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald) became the #1 R&B song for that year, and that Grammy nominee was #4 for 1986. Other 1980s hits include “Love Power,” one of the Bacharach-Sager songs produced and written for Dionne Warwick's “Reservations For Two” album; “Everchanging Times,” recorded by Siedah Garrett for the film, “Baby Boom” (and later by Aretha Franklin and a number of singers in the U.K.); “Over You,” by Natalie Cole and Ray Parker, Jr.; “Love Always,” by El DeBarge, and ‘They Don't Make Them Like They Used To” (recorded by Kenny Rogers for the film, “Tough Guys”), the country hit nominated for a Golden Globe.

‘That's What Friends Are For” has also become an international anthem for friendship. It was an instant standard when released by Dionne and Friends, won a Grammy award, and holds a special place in Bacharach's heart. The songwriters and artists donated all the proceeds from the song to the American Foundation for AIDS Research , and more than $1,500,000 has been donated thus far. Ironically, the song was one of the first Bacharach-Sager collaborations, originally written for Rod Stewart for the film, “Night Shift”.

Bacharach-Sager-Diamond also collaborated on “Heartlight,” the Neil Diamond hit. Inspired by the film, “E.T.,” the song had a special meaning to Bacharach. He and Ms. Sager named one of their horses “Heartlight No. One” in hopes that the filly would do as well as the hit record and album. The Bacharachs and Diamond sang “Heartlight” to her before her races. Indeed, the horse was a champion — winning the prestigious Eclipse Award.

Bacharach might have also been expected to be talented in writing, being the only son of the late nationally-syndicated columnist Bert Bacharach. From an early age, though, he demonstrated more interest with musical notes than with words; in fact most of his songs have been collaborations, including many with lyricist Hal David, which resulted in scores of top 10 records.

Bacharach started taking piano lessons while in elementary school. His family had moved from Missouri to New York, where he spent most of his youth. An avid fan of bebop music, Bacharach was influenced by such legends as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, two musicians he credits as having major impacts on his career.

After graduating from high school, Bacharach studied at McGill University, the New School for Social Research in New York and Mannes School of Music. His training included music composition with such famous teachers as Darius Milhaud, Boguslav Martinu and Henry Cowell.

He began his career as a conductor and arranger, and toured widely for three years. as accompanist-conductor for Marlene Dietrich.

As a teenager, he was composing songs, and by the late 1950's some of his songs were hitting the charts in performances by artists from different segments of the popular music field. He wrote a number of country-rock classics for Gene Pitney and Marty Robbins. Soon afterwards, he established himself as one of the music industry's top producers, working with singers like Chuck Jackson and, of course, Dionne Warwick.

With Dionne Warwick alone, Bacharach and Hal David scored an incredible string of 39 chart records in ten years. At the same time such as artists from the Beatles and Tom Jones were recording their songs.

Bacharach's scores for films include the 1997 Grammy nominated, “God Give Me Strength,” a collaboration with Elvis Costello for the film, “Grace of My Heart”; “What's New Pussycat?” (the title song was a million-seller for Tom Jones); “Casino Royale” (‘The Look of Love” was gold for Dusty Springfield as well as Sergio Mendes and Brazil ‘66, and was a top ten hit for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass); “After The Fox”; ‘Together?” (with Michael McDonald, Jackie De Shannon and Libby Titus); “Arthur,” “Night Shift,” “Making Love,” “Baby Boom,” and the movie for which he received two more Academy Awards and a Grammy award, “Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid.”

Bacharach broke new ground stylistically and won another Grammy Award with his collaboration with his lyricist Hal David on the smash Broadway musical, “Promises, Promises.” He has a long association with A&M Records. The 1998 Elvis Costello project was released by Mercury Records, and Rhino Records has released a greatest hits collection, ‘The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection.”

Although his first love remains writing, Bacharach feels performing is the icing on the cake to his illustrious career. He is one artist who will always remain in the limelight no matter what endeavor he pursues.

Burt Bacharach's compositions include:

Classic Songs :

“Walk On By”

“Close To You”

“I Say A Little Prayer”

“Don't Make Me Over”

“I'll Never Fall In Love Again”

“Are You There With Another Girl”

“Message To Michael”

‘The April Fools”

‘There's Always Something There To Remind Me”

“What The World Needs Now Is Love”

“Wishin' And Hopin”' ‘The Look Of Love”

“I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself'

‘The Story Of My Life”

“Magic Moments”

“Baby It's You”

“Make It Easy On Yourself"

“Any Day Now”

“Only Love Can Break A Heart”

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”

"Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa”

“Blue On Blue” “Wives and Lovers”