He Made Us Smile, Love, Weep and Whistle

We have lost one of the greatest American songwriters ever, Burt Bacharach, at 94.

But he has left us hundreds of  unforgettable songs recorded by a thousand artists, for every moment and mood.

Often teaming with legendary lyricist Hal David, the hits include “I Say A Little Prayer”, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” and “(They Long to Be) Close To You” with artists ranging from Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, The Fifth Dimension, and, one of the biggest, 1981’s “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) with San Antonio’s own, Christopher Cross. A song that only went to number one on the charts and won an Oscar.

Commenting on his signature sound in a later interview, Burt Bacharach said:

“I didn’t want to make songs the same way they’d been done, so I split vocals and instrumentals and try to make it interesting…it’s about the peaks and valleys of where a song can take you. You can tell a story and be able to be explosive one minute, then get quiet as a kind of satisfying resolution”.

When he died last night in Los Angeles, he had the satisfaction of doing what he loved, the way he felt it should be done, and having the honor of music that’s on the airwaves and playlists of men and women the world over.

Sir, you made it interesting and we love where your songs took us.

Join us for a Burt Bacharach musical tribute from 6 to 7 PM today (February 9 episode) of the “Jack Riccardi Show”