Hal David was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame just last year, though his song-writing has permeated modern culture for decades. Best known for his work collaborating with Burt Bacharach and his association with the Motown singer Dionne Warwick, David spawned a huge number of hits, including 'Walk on By,' 'I Say A Little Prayer' and 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.'
Dionne Warwick, who has also suffered the personal tragedy of losing her cousin Whitney Houston this year, led the tributes to the late songwriter, who died of a stroke, aged 91, on September 1, 2012. Hal David penned one of Warwick's biggest hits, 'Walk on By,' and she said that she would "always have him with me, each time I sing the lyrics," BBC News reports. Another Motown recording artist, Smokey Robinson, tweeted a message of condolence, saying "I hope that the music world will join together in celebrating the life of one of our greatest composers ever, Mr. Hal David." His music influenced contemporary musicians and artists from a wide range of genres though, not just Motown artists. The Broadway actress Kristin Chenoweth, also tweeted a message to say "RIP Hal David. It was an honor singing your lyrics on Broadway and in concert. ?heartbroken." Similarly, the UK band Massive Attack described the songwriter as "a songwriting genius."
Hal David met Burt Bacharach met in the 1950s when they were working in New York's Tin Pan Alley. Their first hit came when they penned 'Magic Moments' for Perry Como, which sold over a million copies.