November 10, 2024

Burt Bacharach insisted he ‘didn’t mean to hurt anyone’ during his four marriages

Burt Bacharach #BurtBacharach

Burt Bacharach died of natural causes aged 94 at his home in Los Angeles in February this year.

The gifted and popular composer was an eight-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner.

However, he was also known for his tumultuous love life, after being married four times, with the songstress speaking out on his regrets in later life.

In an interview with The Telegraph in 2015, he explained: “I thought I was a good kid, and I didn’t mean to hurt anybody but when you wind up being married four times, there are a lot of bodies strewn in your wake.”

Burt’s first marriage was to actress Paula Stewart and it lasted from 1953 to 1958.

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He then married another actress, Angie Dickinson, in 1965 with the former couple having one daughter together, Nikki Bacharach.

Nikki tragically took her own life in 2007, aged 40, after battling with Asperger’s Syndrome from an early age.

Speaking about her death in 2013, Burt told The Telegraph: “I hated the way she did it… alone.

“I thought, Jesus, that’s a lot of courage, you know. But she always did like to test the limits.”

The songwriter’s third marriage was to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager and lasted from 1982 to 1991.

Carole wrote the lyrics for his 1981 song Arthur’s Theme, which ended up being a No 1 hit and an Oscar winner.

Burt then married athlete Jane Hansen, who is 32 years his junior, in 1993, with the pair remaining together until his death.

Despite bitter divorces and the death of his daughter, Burt regained friendships with two of his ex-wives, Angie and Carole.

He also invited them to contribute to his autobiography, Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music, which he wrote with Robert Greenfield.

Burt had a run of top 10 hits from the 1950s into the 21st century, and his music has been heard in many popular films.

His other hits include Alfie, I Say a Little Prayer, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again – and many more.

His songs were covered by countless artists over the years, including the likes of Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra.

If you or someone you know has been affected by this story, Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year.

Alternatively, you can find more information on the Samaritans website here

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