Hal David: Last News

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic What the world needs now, many Burt Bacharach fans can agree, is for that deep catalog of songs to not be consigned to history. Stepping up to present much of that material in a new light is a tour dubbed “What the World Needs Now: The Burt Bacharach Songbook Live,” which kicks off this weekend in southern California with Todd Rundgren in the nine-piece ensemble and handling many of the lead vocals on Bacharach/Hal David classics from the ’60s, ’70s and beyond.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Kanye West’s innovative use of samples was one of the hallmarks of his early hits — his slowed-down snippets of songs from Chaka Khan, Ray Charles, Daft Punk and more set a sonic path that countless artists would follow from that point on. But in recent years, as West’s behavior became more unpredictable and often aggressive, so too did his adherence to the legalities of samples, interpolations and straight covers of copyrighted songs and sounds.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced today that Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams will be the 2025 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award, honoring young songwriters. The honor will take place at the 54th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Jack Jones, the Grammy-winning singer of popular music fare such as “Lollipops and Roses,” “The Impossible Dream,” “Wives and Lovers” and, perhaps most famously, the theme to TV’s The Love Boat, died Wednesday, October 23. He was 86.

Sérgio Mendes, the Brazilian composer, arranger and pianist whose melding of his native country’s traditional music with ’60s-vintage American pop, bossa nova, samba, funk and hints of cool jazz became one of the decade’s most beloved and popular sounds, died peacefully Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 83.

“Folie à deux” means a kind of shared madness — possibly two extreme hearts on similar wavelength or maybe a clash inside one disturbed person’s head. When Arthur Fleck aka Joker meets Harleen “Lee” Quinel aka Harley Quinn in director/co-writer Todd Phillips audacious and head-spinning follow-up to his billion-dollar-grossing 2019 origin story, Joker: Folie à Deux is maybe all of that.

Paul Harris WASHINGTON — The Kennedy Center Honors was a decidedly tuneful affair, with musical talents representing four of its five recipients – vocalists and/or songwriters Dionne Warwick, Renee Fleming, Queen Latifah and Barry Gibb — along with actor/comedian/filmmaker Billy Crystal. The program, in its 46th year, followed the traditional format that showcases tributes to each honoree by artists and celebs whose identities are undisclosed in advance. It kicked off with a lively parade of dancers down the aisles, led by emcee and former honoree Gloria Estefan and accompanied by Sheila E on drums—a first for the event.

Doja Cat to next-level stardom — earning her a Grammy Album of the Year nomination and a win for the SZA-assisted “Kiss Me More” — it almost set her up for the sophomore slump, even though it was her third LP.But the 27-year-old rapper and singer — born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini — had already avoided that before her fourth album, “Scarlet,” dropped on Friday. She hit No.

Post Malone is this year’s recipient of a distinguished songwriting award.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced today that Post Malone will be the 2023 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award, which is intended to honor “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.” The award was created in 2004 to honor Hal David, Burt Bacharach’s longtime songwriting partner and SHOF chairman emeritus, for his support of young songwriters. Past recipients include Taylor Swift, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, Sara Bareilles, Nick Jonas, Halsey, Nate Ruess, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo, Benny Blanco, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Rob Thomas, and John Rzeznik.

The music community has been paying tribute to Burt Bacharach, who has died aged 94. A representative confirmed to media that the legendary music-maker died on Wednesday at home in LA of natural causes.Born in Kansas City, Bacharach studied music at universities and schools in Montreal, New York and California.

Dionne Warwick, whose career is forever linked to the man who wrote so many of her hit songs, remembered Burt Bacharach today, releasing a statement on the late composer and calling him her dear friend and musical partner while conceding the two “had their run ins.”

Tributes poured in Thursday for legendary composer Burt Bacharach, who has died at the age of 94 at home in Los Angeles. Bacharach composed more than 500 songs including Say A Little Prayer and Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, and over the course of his career was heaped with honors including six Grammy Awards.During seven decades of work, he wrote for a string of A-list stars including Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black, Tom Jones, Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield. Michael Keaton, whose first starring role was in the 1982 film Night Shift scored by Bacharach, led the celebrity testimonials on social media.He posted an Instagram photo of the death announcement appearing on CNN and wrote in the caption simply: 'Legend.' Dearly departed: Tributes poured in Thursday for legendary composer Burt Bacharach, who has died at the age of 94 at home in Los Angeles; he is pictured in 1969 Legend: Michael Keaton, whose first starring role was in the 1982 film Night Shift scored by Bacharach, led the celebrity testimonials Mourning: Alec Baldwin, who once sang Bacharach and Hal David's song What The World Needs Now Is Love on 30 Rock, wrote: 'Rest in peace the great Burt Bacharach...'Alec Baldwin, who once sang Bacharach and Hal David's song What The World Needs Now Is Love on 30 Rock, wrote: 'Rest in peace the great Burt Bacharach...'Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson, who previously cited Bacharach as one of his prime influences, rhapsodized about the late songwriter on Twitter.'I’m so sad to hear about Burt Bacharach. Burt was a hero of mine and very influential on my work,' wrote Wilson.

EXCLUSIVE: CNN will be ringing in the New Year with a film on a music superstar.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLil Nas X will be honored at the long-awaited 51 st annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala next month with the Hal David Starlight Award, which recognizes “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs.”Nas, a Sony Music Publishing writer, joins previous honorees Drake, Taylor Swift, Halsey, Sara Bareilles, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Benny Blanco, John Mayer and others. The award, created in 2004, was named in honor of SHOF chairman emeritus Hal David for his support of young songwriters.The ceremony, the first since 2019, is slated for Thursday, June 16 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticEvery great singer has her own signature, and Dionne Warwick’s, in her defining period in the ’60s and ’70s, was the gorgeous wavery ethereal slowness of her vibrato. It allowed her to hit a note, sustain it with that beautiful wide tremolo, and invest it with a yearning that was pure enough to pierce you.