Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “I Say a Little Prayer” and dozens of other hits, has died at 94. Bacharach died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes, publicist Tina Brausam confirmed to CBS News on Thursday.
Over the past 70 years, only Lennon-McCartney, Carole King and a handful of others rivaled his genius for instantly catchy songs that remained performed, played and hummed long after they were written. He had a run of top 10 hits from the 1950s into the 21st century, and his music was heard everywhere from movie soundtracks and radios to home stereo systems and iPods, whether “Alfie” or “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” or “This Guy’s in Love with You.”
In 2013, Bacharach said on “CBS This Morning” that “Alfie” might be his favorite song. “I mean, just that one excerpt line, ‘Are we meant to take more than we give or are we meant to be kind,’ and how applicable that is right now,” he said.
