Photo: Pat Padua / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Hal David is a name that deserves to be spoken in the same breath as the melodies it served. As a lyricist, his partnership with Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick produced songs so woven into the culture that most people don't even realize who wrote the words. What I admire is the craft of restraint, the way great lyrics feel inevitable rather than clever. The awards back it up: an Academy Award, the Gershwin Prize, a star on the Walk of Fame. He passed in 2012 at 91, but his work is the kind that quietly outlives everyone. That's the real measure of a songwriter.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hal David
- Name (Japanese)
- ハル・デヴィッド
- Reading
- はる・でゔぃっど
- Born
- May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rooster
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- composer / pianist / songwriter / lyricist / author
2. Background
- High school
- Thomas Jefferson High School
Awards & achievements
- 1997 Grammy Trustees Award
- 2012 Gershwin Prize
- 1996 Johnny Mercer Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 1970 Academy Award for Best Original Song
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Hal David born?
May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012.
Where is Hal David from?
Hal David is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Hal David do?
Hal David works as composer, pianist, songwriter, lyricist, author.
Composer — see all → · Pianist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.