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Gershwin Prize 2012: Bacharach and David

Posted by: Cait Miller

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Burt Bacharach, 2012 Fourth Gershwin Prize Recipient

Tonight President Obama will award the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to the songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and last night the Library of Congress hosted a special invitation-only tribute concert to Bacharach and David in the Library’s historic Coolidge Auditorium. I was lucky enough to get a seat last night, and was thrilled to hear the musical stylings of 2009 Gershwin Prize recipient Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Diana Krall, Arturo Sandoval, Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett, Michael Feinstein, Mike Myers, Rumer, and Shelea. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear these artists bring their own style to classics such as “Alfie,” “Make It Easy on Yourself,” “The Look of Love” and more Bacharach/David hits; the concert certainly made clear the influence these two men have had on countless musicians across multiple genres and generations.

Hal David, 2012 Fourth Gershwin Prize Recipient

 

Tonight many of these musicians will also pay tribute to Bacharach and David in a musical performance at the White House – and you can see it for yourselves! Tonight the concert will be streaming live on The White House’s live streams at 7:00 pm ET. If you can’t watch the live stream, never fear – PBS will be airing the concert on Monday, May 21, 2012 (check your local listings).

Comments

  1. Mark Isenberg says:

    Thank you for awarding this Gershwin Prize to two gifted composers-lyricists who have given us great tunes and musicals.

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