Hal David, 91. The other half of a remarkable partnership with Burt Bacharach, he wrote the lush, romantic lyrics that fueled a hit machine turning out decades of love songs. I can’t think of a false lyrical note in any of his work; he wrote beautifully concise and powerful lyrics, and I hope they last another generation. He was a giant, and we won’t see anyone like him again for a long time.
R.I.P.
The number of hits this man wrote that you probably know nothing about is astounding. “Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa,” “(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance” and “Only Love Can Break a Heart” — all for Gene Pitney — are among them.