- Born
- Died
- Birth nameHarold Lane David
- Songwriter ("Magic Moments", "Baby Elephant Walk", "What the World Needs Now is Love") and author, educated at New York University. Joining ASCAP in 1943, he collaborated musically with Burt Bacharach, Sherman Edwards, Lee Pockriss, [error], Redd Evans, Don Rodney, John Barry and Henry Mancini. His other popular-song compositions include "Four Winds and the Seven Seas, The", "American Beauty Rose", "My Heart is an Open Book", "Broken-Hearted Melody", "What Do You See in Her?", "Sea of Heart Break", "La Charanga", "Our Concerto", "Johnny Get Angry", "You'll Answer to Me", "Don't Make Me Over", "Make it Easy on Yourself", "Only Love Can Break a Heart", "Story of My Life, The", "Blue on Blue", "True Love Never Runs Smooth", "24 Hours From Tulsa", "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?", "Anyone who Had a Heart", "Walk On By", "Any Old Time of the Day", "Reach Out for Me", "I Wake Up Cryin'", "Don't Envy Me", "First Night of the Full Moon, The", "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me", "Magic Potion", "This Empty Place", "You'll Never Get to Heaven", "To Wait For Love", "Trains and Boats and Planes", "We Have All The Time in the World" and "Lifetime of Loneliness, A".
- IMDb mini biography by: Hup234!
- SpousesEunice Forester(September 2, 1988 - September 1, 2012) (his death)Anne Rauchman(December 24, 1947 - June 26, 1987) (her death, 2 children)
- RelativesMack David(Sibling)
- Often worked with composer Burt Bacharach
- In 1957, David met composer Burt Bacharach, destined to be his most famous collaborator, at the coincidentally named "Famous Music" in the Brill Building, New York City. Soon after meeting, Bacharach and David wrote their first major hit, "The Story of My Life", recorded by Marty Robbins, released in 1957. Later in 1957, Perry Como also succeed with Bacharach and David's "Magic Moments".
- Along with his most prominent songwriting partner, Burt Bacharach, David was awarded the 2011 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, bestowed by the United States Library of Congress. In the entire history of this award, this was the first time a songwriting team had this honor bestowed on them. David was recuperating from an illness, rendering him unable to attend the May 2012 presentation ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
- Inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame (1972) and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1984).
- He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 14, 2011.
- David also worked with composers other than Burt Bacharach, including writing for Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," with composer Albert Hammond; singer Sarah Vaughan's "Broken Hearted Melody," with composer Sherman Edwards; the 1962 Joanie Sommers hit "Johnny Get Angry," with Edwards; "We Have All the Time in the World," with composer John Barry, performed by Louis Armstrong for the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), and a few others.
- Pop songs are not as graceful as they used to be. Performers today haven't gone through the regimen of learning how to write. And of course, everyone wants to own copyrights. Rap culture is interesting and different and has purpose but it has a non-romantic view of life and of social feelings. There may be a void in that.
- [on the musical "Promises, Promises"] The most fun time I've had on any project.
- [on working with Burt Bacharach] We didn't say, "we can't do this because the range is so great, or who is going to sing it? or is this a commercial?" We just wrote.
- The talent is always there and art is cyclical. I'm optimistic.
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