Anyone Who Had a Heart

My Life and Music

By: Burt Bacharach

Narrated by: Tony Call, Jeff Woodman, Therese Plummer

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the greatest songwriters of all time offers a frank and riveting account of his life and the stories behind the hits.

Over the past six decades, Burt Bacharach's legendary songwriting has touched millions of devoted listeners all over the world. In Anyone Who Had a Heart, Bacharach steps out from behind the music to give an honest, engaging look at his life - from his work with Hal David, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, and many others to his tumultuous marriages and the devastating fate of his beloved daughter.

Growing up in Forest Hills, New York, during the 1930s and '40s, Burt Bacharach fell in love with music after sneaking into a Manhattan jazz club to see the legendary Dizzy Gillespie. After a stint in the Army during the Korean War, he toured the world with Marlene Dietrich, wrote an endless string of hits, scored numerous Hollywood films, married the glamorous movie star Angie Dickinson, and composed the music for the huge Broadway hit Promises, Promises.

While he soared professionally, Bacharach's private life was dominated by the never-ending search for love - and the heartbreak that comes when it is lost - which is reflected in his greatest songs. His first three marriages ended in divorce. His long-running partnership with the late Hal David suffered a bitter split that lasted seventeen years. Throughout the highs and lows, Bacharach steadfastly pursued his muse - a quest that continues to this day.

Anyone Who Had a Heart is the story of a man who has always expressed his deepest feelings through his music. Filled with the emotional power that defines Burt Bacharach's most unforgettable songs, his memoir offers a candid backstage look at show business as well as the personal struggles of an artist whose incredible body of work has earned him a unique position in the American cultural landscape.

©2013 Burt Bacharach (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Complex Human

Burt was a fascinating person. Gifted, entitled at times, and as with many gifted people, his career came first over his family. He admits mistakes, apologizes for some. Great read.

Burt Bacharach

I really enjoyed this book. I used to see Burt, Angie and Nicky down in Del Mar every summer. I really enjoy his music too.

What the World Needs Now!

Definitely what the world needs now is love and Bacharach music. Great read great time!

beautiful telling of Burt's life and loves

once I started listening, I couldn't turn it off. the narration was superb. I've been a huge Burt fan since junior high school in the 60s, and a college music major in the 70s who loved to study his compositional style. Yet I learned so much about his life through this book. I wish he knew how much this all meant to me; he's truly my life mentor about what good music is.

Burt Bacharach

What a jerk! Bacharach was a brilliant and talented songwriter but he gets a zero as a father. Shame on him.

It was mentioned he was a narcissist

I still enjoyed listening to it and found it interested. I lived in Del Mar during the days of Burt , Angie and Nikki and saw them on the beach all the time. I was in love with his music and him as a child.

What makes this autobiography unique

I grew up on Bacharach and David’s songs, and increasingly learned to appreciate the musical complexity of Bacharach’s compositions. But it is the first autobiography I heard when the protagonist constantly juxtaposes their (self-serving sometimes) narrative with first-hand testimony of those involved in a scene - which often, and I am sure, deliberately, provides a very negative perspective on Bacharach. The technique creates a form that parallels Bacharach’s music, often complex to perform to to changing key signatures, but extremely compelling for listers. The narration is good.

What a disappointment!!

I had such a different idea of who this man was that I was sorry I read this. Other than his talent for music, he has very few redeeming qualities and it was hard to read this. He was referred to as narcissistic, but that is a compliment. I would add shallow, and much more.

I thought it was going to be a loving book about his daughter, but it's just a book about his lack of character..

One of my musical Gods

Great book. It might be too honest for some but to me thats what i want to hear. What a life and a happy ending just like his songs. Fantastic reader.

The man behind the beautiful music

I’ve always been a big fan of Burt Bacharach’s music and was intrigued to hear his story. I appreciated the fact that the book included others’ reactions about him, both positive and negative. I enjoyed learning about his life and thought the narrator did a great job.