American songwriter Burt Bacharach, 94, passes away.

(Photo by John Salangsang/
Invision/AP, File)

I say a little prayer for you and Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head legendary composer Burt Bacharach passed away on Thursday at the age of 94, according to American media.

Burt Bacharach, a jazz-loving pianist born in Kansas City (Missouri) on May 12, 1928, studied composition at various American universities. 

Dionne Warwick's favourite composer, Burt Bacharach has worked with the Beatles, Elvis Costello, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, and Elvis Costello. His representative claims that he died naturally.

Numerous of Burt Bacharach's compositions have gone on to become standards, most notably for his favourite artist Dionne Warwick.

His romantic ballads and sadness, which hovered on the edge of jazz and pop, reached the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with songs like "What the World Needs Now Is Love," "The Look of Love," "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," and "A House Is Not a Home". The list of its 1,000+ interpreters is as impressive and features Tom Jones, Elvis Costello, the White Stripes, etc.

Burt Bacharach is a jazz-loving pianist who was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He studied composition at several prestigious American universities. Never be scared to be melodic is advice Darius Milhaud, a Frenchman who was one of his mentors, advised him. After serving in the military, Marlène Dietrich hired him to be an arranger and musical director for her tours.

He met lyricist Hal David in 1957, and the two went on to forge one of the most enduring musical partnerships. Hal David passed away in 2012. Four years after they first started working together, they come across Dionne Warwick, a young singer who will eventually become their "standard bearer," during a recording session. Between 1962 and 1968, they jointly placed 15 songs, such as "Walk on by," "Anyone who had a heart," or "Do you know the way to San José?" in the American Top 40. The writing team has also received praise from Hollywood. They won two Oscars in 1970 for the score to the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Kid" and the song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."

The 1982 song "Arthur's theme (Best that you can do)," by Burt Bacharach, was the theme song for the film "Arthur." However, he enters the Academy Awards stage alone this time instead of his companion.

He married four times, once each with Paula Stewart (1953–58), Angie Dickinson (1965–80), Carole Bayer Sager (1982–91), and Jane Hansen (in 1993). Nikki, the daughter of Burt Bacharach and actress Angie Dickinson, was born with autism, which left a tragic effect on his life. She took her own life in 2007 when she was 40 years old. Burt Bacharach had three more children.