48 | MARCH 2 • 2023 

“What is the key to making 
music?” 
 He said, “Respond to the 
world around you. Be like 
a sponge. Fortunately, I can 
then express those feelings in 
my music.” 
The feelings he expressed 
have raised important 
awareness. His song “That’s 
What Friends Are For,” 
written with Oscar-winning 
lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (to 
whom he was once married), 
was recorded for American 
Foundation for AIDS 
Research (amFAR ) and raised 
more than $3 million.
Burt expressed his heartfelt 
response to school shootings 
in America in his song “Live 
To See Another Day.” He 
wrote this anthem in 2018, 
and it is dedicated to the 
victims, survivors and families 
affected by school violence. 

Burt donated his proceeds to 
Sandy Hook Promise. 
I have introduced Burt to 
my family and my closest 
pals. We have shared fun 
dinners after his concerts. He 
made everyone feel special 
by asking questions about us, 
even though we wanted to 
talk only about him. He loved 
talking about his children. He 
often punctuated his sentences 
with laughter and, most 
importantly, he was so very 
kind. 
When I asked him in 2019 
to write the foreword to my 
book on Aretha he said, “Yes.” 
When he called to tell me 
what he thought of my book, 
I missed his phone call. I was 
disappointed not to talk to 
him, but now I am grateful 
he left a voicemail and I can 
listen to his voice and hear his 
feelings whenever I want. This 

is a treasure of mine along 
with the vintage program 
book he signed to a speechless 
teenager decades ago.
I always hoped to see 
him in concert one more 
time. In 2020 and in 2021, 
his scheduled concerts 
were canceled all over the 
world because of COVID 
restrictions. This is regrettable 
for many reasons. He couldn’t 
do what he loved, and his fans 
were stopped from seeing 
him. 
Burt did spend the last 
four years writing new 
music with Grammy award-
winning artist, songwriter 
and producer Daniel Tashian. 
They were nominated for a 
Grammy in 2020 for their EP 
“Blue Umbrella.” They have 
new music coming out later 
in 2023. He also continued to 
work with Elvis Costello. 
Burt and Elvis have 
collaborated for over 25 years 
and, on March 3, their box set, 
“The Songs of Bacharach and 
Costello” will be launched.
Burt often said “Alfie” is his 
favorite of the songs he has 
written. “One of the best lyrics 
Hal David, or anyone else, has 
written.” 
During his Meadow Brook 
concert when he sang this 
lyric from “Alfie:” “When you 

walk let your heart lead the 
way,” I could hear a tear in 
his voice. I have heard him 
sing “Alfie” so many times but 
never quite like this. After the 
concert I told him. He was 
standing next to one of his 
musicians and said, “Linda 
would know … She knows my 
music.”
The lyrics in Alfie describe 
the meaning of life “as sure 
as I believe there’s a heaven 
above.”
Now with the beautiful 
sound of a piano played 
with gentle hands by a 
man wearing sneakers. 
Burt Bacharach’s music will 
“forever and ever” bring 
happiness here and above. 
When I listen to “Alfie,” I 
will always have a tear and 
remember the meaning of the 
lyric, “When you walk let your 
heart lead the way.” 
I have and a dream came 
true. 

Linda Solomon is an award-winning 

photojournalist and author and a mem-

ber of the Michigan Journalism Hall of 

Fame. Her most recent book is The 

Queen Next Door: Aretha Franklin, An 

Intimate Portrait. Burt Bacharach wrote 

the foreword. Linda is the founder of 

Pictures of Hope, a nonprofit organi-

zation devoted to changing lives of 

children experiencing homelessness. 

She will “forever and ever” be Burt 

Bacharach’s No. 1 fan.

ARTS&LIFE
REMEMBRANCE

Linda’s first Pine 
Knob photo of 
Burt before going 
backstage.

Burt Bacharach 
and Elvis Costello 
in 2013

continued from page 47

