Carole Bayer Sager

Carole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, singer, and painter renowned for her prolific contributions to popular music across several decades. Her career, spanning from the late 1960s to the present, is distinguished by a string of major chart successes and prestigious awards, including an Academy Award and multiple Grammy Awards. Sager is celebrated for her emotionally resonant and clever lyrics, which have been brought to life through landmark collaborations with composers such as Burt Bacharach, Marvin Hamlisch, and David Foster.

Early life and education

Carole Bayer was born on March 8, 1947, in New York City, the daughter of Anita (née Nathan) and Robert Bayer. She was raised in a Jewish family in Manhattan and demonstrated an early aptitude for writing, winning a city-wide songwriting contest as a teenager. She attended the New York City public school system before enrolling at New York University, where she studied English, drama, and speech. It was during her time at New York University that she began to seriously pursue songwriting, penning her first major hit while still a student.

Songwriting career

Sager's professional career launched spectacularly with the success of "A Groovy Kind of Love," co-written with Toni Wine and recorded by the Mindbenders in 1965, later becoming a number-two hit on the Billboard Hot 100. She initially worked as a staff writer for Screen Gems before establishing herself as a versatile lyricist capable of navigating pop music, soft rock, and film scores. In the 1970s, she also embarked on a recording career, releasing albums like *Carole Bayer Sager* (1977) on the Elektra Records label, which featured the hit "You're Moving Out Today." Her ability to craft poignant narratives for both her own performances and those of major artists solidified her reputation in the music industry.

Notable works and collaborations

Sager's catalog includes some of the most iconic songs of the late 20th century, often born from celebrated partnerships. Her long-term professional and personal relationship with composer Burt Bacharach yielded classics like the Oscar-winning "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (co-written with Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross, and Peter Allen) and the Grammy-winning "That's What Friends Are For," recorded by Dionne Warwick and friends to benefit AIDS research. With Marvin Hamlisch, she wrote the Tony Award-nominated score for the musical *They're Playing Our Song*, inspired by their own romance. Other significant collaborations include hits with David Foster ("The Prayer"), Michael McDonald ("On My Own"), and Melissa Manchester ("Midnight Blue" and "Come in from the Rain").

Personal life

Sager has been married three times: first to musician Andrew S. J. Gold from 1970 to 1972, then to her famed collaborator Burt Bacharach from 1982 to 1991, with whom she has a son, Cristopher Elton Bacharach. Since 1996, she has been married to former Warner Bros. chairman and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Bob Daly. She has been open about her life and relationships in her candid 2016 memoir, *They're Playing Our Song*. A longtime resident of Beverly Hills, Sager is also an accomplished painter whose work has been exhibited in galleries.

Awards and recognition

Throughout her career, Carole Bayer Sager has been honored with the highest accolades in music and film. She won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1981 for "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)." She has received multiple Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for "That's What Friends Are For" in 1986 and Best Song Written for Visual Media for "The Prayer" in 1998. Her work on Broadway's *They're Playing Our Song* earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score. In 2022, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy as one of the preeminent lyricists of her generation.

Category:American lyricists Category:American songwriters Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Academy Award winners