Burt Bacharach was one of the most successful and iconic songwriters of our time. His songs have been covered by some of the biggest names in music and have become timeless classics. Today, we say goodbye to a true legend. Thank you for all the beautiful music, Burt, because you will be sorely missed. But did you know that as Burt Bacharach was composing his iconic love songs, he was dealing with so much heartache from multiple divorces as well as from the suicide of his 40-year-old autistic daughter?
On Wednesday, the 94-year-old songwriter icon passed away. He was the man behind some of the most recognizable love ballads of all time, including Dusty Springfield’s I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself and Aretha Franklin’s I Say A Little Prayer.
During his songwriting career, Burt Bacharach created some of the best love songs of a generation or two. He made many catchy melodies that continue to be popular songs today. However, few people realize that Bacharach experienced a lot of heartbreak in his own life. He struggled through three divorces before he finally found “the one.” His fourth wife stayed married to Bacharach for thirty years and was behind his side as a dedicated partner until his death.
Bacharach was also deeply saddened by the suicide of his 40-year-old daughter, Nikki, who had been diagnosed with autism. This tragedy made him reevaluate his life and aim to make it count with every song he wrote. He dedicated numerous songs to her memory. His love ballads always seemed to be full of emotion, but many didn’t realize the pain that was behind them. She died by suicide in 2007.
In addition to his struggle to find love, Bacharach would also have to deal with jealousy from his partners for the female artists he would write songs for. His life was also marked by many scandals and infidelities that made it impossible for him to secure a happy marriage until late in life.
Bacharach had his first child, a daughter, in 1966. The experience “changed him in ways he didn’t even understand.” The child also made his work in the music industry seem “unimportant.”
In a 2013 interview with Daily Mail, the iconic songwriter said that by the time his daughter was three, he “definitely felt something about her was off.” He added, “My daughter was getting weirder and weirder, but I didn’t know what to do about it.”
For the next thirty years, Bacharach had no clue what was going on with his daughter until she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Six years later, she took her own life by wrapping her head in a plastic bag filled with nitrous oxide.
We will always remember Burt Bacharach for the amazing music he wrote and produced over his long career. His love ballads still bring people together and create timeless memories. We send our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.