Hal David

Hal David
Hal David
Birth name	Harold Lane David
Born	May 25, 1921 (age 90)
Origin	New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Lyricist
Associated acts	Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick

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Harold Lane "Hal" David (born May 25, 1921) is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.

[edit] Career

David was born in New York City, New York, and is credited with popular music lyrics beginning in the 1940s with material written for band leader Sammy Kaye, and Guy Lombardo. He worked with Morty Nevins of The Three Suns on four songs for the feature film Two Gals and a Guy (1951), starring Janis Paige and Robert Alda.

In 1957, David met composer Burt Bacharach at Famous Music in the Brill Building in New York. The two teamed up and wrote their first hit "The Story of My Life", recorded by Marty Robbins in 1957. Later that year Perry Como had a hit with their "Magic Moments". Subsequently, Bacharach and David wrote some of the most enduring songs in American popular music, many for Dionne Warwick, but also for The Carpenters, Dusty Springfield, B. J. Thomas, Gene Pitney, Tom Jones, Jackie DeShannon, and others in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The duo's film work includes the Oscar-nominated title songs for "What's New Pussycat?" and "Alfie"; "The Look of Love", from Casino Royale; and the Oscar-winning "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In addition, "Don't Make Me Over", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", and "Walk On By" have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

David's work with other composers includes Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias' "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", with Albert Hammond; Sarah Vaughan's "Broken Hearted Melody", with Sherman Edwards; the 1962 Joanie Sommers hit "Johnny Get Angry", also with Edwards; and "We Have All the Time in the World", written with John Barry and sung by Louis Armstrong, for the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. David co-wrote with Paul Hampton the country standard Sea of Heartbreak, a hit for Don Gibson and others.

Hal David's elder brother, Mack David, was also a lyricist and songwriter.

In 1984 he was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He received a Doctor of Music degree from Lincoln College, Illinois in 1991 for his major contribution to American music.
In May 2000 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree from Claremont Graduate University.
He is a Founder of the Los Angeles Music Center
He is a member of the Board of Governors of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of ASCAP, having served as its President, and where he now works on reform of intellectual property rights.
He serves the Advisory Board of the Society of Singers.
He is a member of the Board of Visitors of Claremont Graduate University in California.
He is currently the Chairman of the Board of the National Academy of Popular Music and its Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2011 the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their newest award, the Visionary Leadership Award, for his decade of service to the SHOF.^[1]

Promises, Promises (1968) - musical - lyricist - Tony Nomination for Best Musical
André DeShield's Haarlem Nocturne (1984) - revue - featured songwriter
The Look of Love (2003) - revue - lyricist