The music world continues to mourn the death of legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach, who died Feb. 8 at the age of 94. On Saturday (Feb. 11), Sir Paul McCartney was one of the latest to pay his condolences and offer a tribute to the man he called an “inspiration.”
On his Twitter account, McCartney posted a photo of himself with Bacharach and Jimmy Buffett, sharing, “Dear Burt Bacharach has passed away. His songs were an inspiration to people like me. I met him on a couple of occasions and he was a very kind and talented man who will be missed by us all. His songs were distinctive and different from many others in the ’60s and ’70s…”
In a followup tweet, McCartney said, “When we met not too long ago he reminded me that he had been the musical director for Marlene Dietrich when The Beatles shared the bill with her at the London Palladium. He was a lovely man. Nancy and I send lots of love to his family.”
Bacharach leaves behind a legacy of prolific songwriting, with 73 top 40 U.S. hits to his name over a 70+ year career. He’s known for penning or co-writing classic gems such as “This Guy’s in Love with You,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” and “That’s What Friends Are For,” often written with lyricist Hal David.
Bacharach also is known for his frequent work with vocalist Dionne Warwick, arranging and composing the 1967 soundtrack to Casino Royale, and collaborations with Elvis Costello including the 1998 Grammy-winning album, Painted From Memory. In March, a new collection called The Songs of Bacharach and Costello will be released.
McCartney recently announced more details for the authorized documentary Man on the Run (directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville) about his work after the Beatles and his relationship with late wife Linda. Also coming on June 13 is 1964: Eyes of the Storm, offering 275 photographs taken by McCartney on a 35mm camera from late 1963 to early 1964.
When we met not too long ago he reminded me that he had been the musical director for Marlene Dietrich when The Beatles shared the bill with her at the London Palladium. He was a lovely man. Nancy and I send lots of love to his family.
Paul
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) February 11, 2023
