Celebrating iconic songwriter Hal David - Los Angeles Times
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Celebrating iconic songwriter Hal David

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Hal David, the lyricist of pop music standards such as “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” and “(They Long to Be) Close to You” has died. He was 91.

David died of complications from a stroke Saturday morning in Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press.

David and his longtime partner composer Burt Bacharach etched an indelible footprint on the American songbook when they penned dozens of top 40 hits.

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WATCH: 10 iconic Hal David songs

The two crafted a slew of memorable singles in the 1960s and early 1970s for a range of artists including Dionne Warwick, the Carpenters, Dusty Springfield, Gene Pitney and Tom Jones.

Some of the standards in the Bacharach-David catalog include “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “I Say a Little Prayer” and “One Less Bell to Answer” – and dozens more that were hits on radio and on soundtracks to film and TV for decades.

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This year the two were honored with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a White House tribute concert attended by President Obama.

To celebrate his permanent mark in American music Pop & Hiss has collected a few looks at some of David’s classic works:

“One Less Bell to Answer / A House is Not a Home” -- “Glee”

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“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” -- BJ Thomas

“(They Long to Be) Close to You” -- Tamia feat. Gerald Levert

“What’s New Pussycat” -- Mike Myers

“I Say a Little Prayer” -- “My Best Friend’s Wedding”


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