Legendary songwriter Hal David dies at 91

In this June 16, 2011 file photo, Hal David arrives at the 42nd Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards in New York. / File,AP Photo/Charles Sykes

Updated 5:40 PM ET

(AP) LOS ANGELES - Hal David, whose simple, heartfelt lyrics made a perfect fit with Burt Bacharach's quirky melodies and resulted in dozens of hit songs, including "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," died Saturday. He was 91.

David died of complications from a stroke Saturday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to his wife Eunice David.

He had suffered a major stroke in March and was stricken again on Tuesday, she said.

"Even at the end, Hal always had a song in his head," Eunice David said. "He was always writing notes, or asking me to take a note down, so he wouldn't forget a lyric."

David and Bacharach won an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), Grammys and Tonys for the songs from the hit Broadway musical "Promises, Promises," as well as other top 40 hits including "Close to You" and "That's What Friends Are For."

Many of the duo's lyrics and tunes continue to resonate in pop culture, including "I Say A Little Prayer, " "What The World Needs Now Is Love," and "This Guy's in Love with You," Their music was recorded by legendary singers including The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond and their longtime partner Dionne Warwick.

David joined the board of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 1974 and served as president 1980 to 1986. He was head of the Songwriters Hall of Fame from 2001 to 2011, and was Chairman Emeritus at his death.

"As a lyric writer, Hal was simple, concise and poetic — conveying volumes of meaning in fewest possible words and always in service to the music," ASCAP's current president, the songwriter Paul Williams, said in a statement. "It is no wonder that so many of his lyrics have become part of our everyday vocabulary and his songs... the backdrop of our lives."

In May, Bacharach and David received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a White House tribute concert attended by President Barack Obama.

Bacharach, 83, thanked Obama, saying the award for his life's work topped even the Oscars and Grammys he won for individual projects. David could not attend. Eunice David, accepted on his behalf.

"It was thrilling," she said. "Even though he wasn't there, Hal said it was the highest honor he had ever received."

More than 55 years after their first songs hit the airwaves, Obama said "these guys have still got it." He noted their music is still being recorded by such artists as Alicia Keys and John Legend.

"Above all, they stayed true to themselves," Obama said. "And with an unmistakable authenticity, they captured the emotions of our daily lives — the good times, the bad times, and everything in between."

David and Bacharach met when both worked in the Brill Building, New York's legendary Tin Pan Alley song factory where writers cranked out songs and attempted to sell them to music publishers. They scored their first big hit with "Magic Moments," a million-selling record for Perry Como.

In 1962 they began writing for a young singer named Dionne Warwick, whose versatile voice conveyed the emotion of David's lyrics and easily handled the changing patterns of Bacharach's melodies. Together the trio created a succession of popular songs including "Don't Make Me Over," "Walk On By," "I Say a Little Prayer." "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," "Trains and Boats and Planes," "Anyone Who Has a Heart," "You'll Never Get to Heaven" and "Always Something There to Remind Me."

The pair also wrote hit songs for numerous other singers: "This Guy's in Love with You" (trumpeter Herb Alpert in his vocal debut), "Make It Easy on Yourself" (Jerry Butler), "What the World Needs Now is Love" (Jackie DeShannon) and "Wishin' and Hopin"' (Dusty Springfield). They also turned out title songs for the movies "What's New, Pussycat" (Tom Jones), "Wives and Lovers" (Jack Jones) and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" (Gene Pitney).

In a 1999 interview, David explained his success as a lyricist this way: "Try and tell a narrative. The songs should be like a little film, told in three or four minutes. Try to say things as simply as possible, which is probably the most difficult thing to do."

The writer, who lived in New York, often flew to Los Angeles, where he and Bacharach would hole up for a few weeks of intense songwriting. Sometimes they conferred by long-distance telephone; "I Say a Little Prayer" was written that way.

The hit-making team broke up after the 1973 musical remake of "Lost Horizon." They had devoted two years to the movie, only to see it scorned by critics and audiences alike. Bacharach became so depressed he sequestered himself in his vacation home and refused to work.

Bacharach and David sued each other and Warwick sued them both. The cases were settled out of court in 1979 and the three went their separate ways. They reconciled in 1992 for Warwick's recording of "Sunny Weather Lover."

David, meanwhile, went on to collaborate successfully with several other composers: John Barry with the title song of the James Bond film "Moonraker;" Albert Hammond with "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," which Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson dueted on; and Henry Mancini with "The Greatest Gift" in "The Return of the Pink Panther."

Born in New York City, David had attended public schools before studying journalism at New York University.

He served in the Army during World War II, mostly as a member of an entertainment unit in the South Pacific.

After the war, he wrote lyrics for several composers until that fateful Brill Building meeting with Bacharach.

David was married to Eunice David for 25 years. He had two sons, Jim and Craig, from a previous marriage to Anne Rauchman.

A private memorial service was planned.

[nohater]

funny how you hear songs and remember the tune, the lyrics but never give a thought to who wrote it. you might remember who sang it or played it but after others sing or play it, you just remember the tune and the lyrics. most songs are about broken hearts, losses of some kind and there not necessarily all C&W either.

[cattiej]

Yesteday, when we were young, you could hear a song that filled your heart wth gladness....Now, you hear words that are hateful, words using foul language, words that made you feel violent towards others..these are not songs, but sad, sad represention of our world of hate for others.
We may know the way to San Jose, but we don't know the way to peace and love of our fellow human beings.

[MagnaCartaUK]

I recently saw a T.V. programme featuring the work of Burt Bacarach and Hal David here in Britain. I knew all the songs well, but was totally unaware of who wrote them. To say both were a class act would be a gross understatement, such was their talent. It's sad to hear Hal David has passed on, but his timeless classics will be enjoyed by countless generations to come. The cream always rises to the top.

[avgctzn50]

Ahhhh....when music was beautiful. RIP Mr.David.

[ToolMangler1]

My sentiments exactly.