Carole Bayer Sager

Carole Bayer Sager
Name	Carole Bayer Sager
Birth date	1944-03-08
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Songwriter, lyricist, singer
Years active	1960s–present
Notable works	"That's What Friends Are For", "Bigger Than Us", "You're Moving Out Today"

Carole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer whose work spans pop, adult contemporary, and musical theater. She has written chart-topping songs recorded by artists across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, collaborating with prominent composers and performers. Her songs have been associated with major institutions such as the Grammy Awards and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

Born in New York City in 1944, she grew up amid the cultural milieu of Manhattan and nearby Brooklyn, with early exposure to Broadway through productions at the Shubert Theatre and Carnegie Hall. Her formative years included attendance at local schools and involvement with community music programs tied to organizations like the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association and the Juilliard School (through outreach), fostering connections to classical and popular music traditions. Influences cited from that period include songwriters associated with Tin Pan Alley, performers from the Ed Sullivan Show, and composers who worked in Broadway and Hollywood.

Career beginnings and rise to prominence

She began writing professionally during the late 1960s and early 1970s, entering publishing circles linked to firms such as ASCAP, BMI, and major record labels including Warner Bros. Records, A&M Records, and RCA Records. Early success came with singles placed with artists promoted by producers who worked at studios like A&M Studios and Gold Star Studios, and broadcast on programs such as American Bandstand and Top of the Pops. Her rising profile intersected with the careers of contemporaries represented by agencies including William Morris Agency and managers associated with Cosmopolitan Productions.

Major songwriting collaborations and notable works

She has co-written songs with a range of composers and performers including Burt Bacharach, Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, Barry Manilow, and Peter Allen, producing hits that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Collaborations with Burt Bacharach yielded material performed on albums released by Columbia Records and promoted on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; work with Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow connected her to tours and television specials on networks such as NBC and CBS. Her lyrics have been set by artists from Dionne Warwick and Celine Dion to Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick-affiliated projects, and featured in films distributed by studios like Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures. She contributed to soundtracks performed at venues including Madison Square Garden and recorded in sessions involving engineers from Capitol Studios.

Solo recordings and performances

As a recording artist, she released singles and albums through labels including Elektra Records and Elektra/Asylum Productions, with promotional appearances on television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show and Saturday Night Live-era specials. Live performances brought her to concert halls and festivals managed by presenters like Live Nation and promoters allied with Bill Graham Presents, and studio collaborations involved session musicians who also worked with The Wrecking Crew and producers connected to Phil Ramone and Clive Davis.

Awards, honors, and legacy

Her songwriting has been recognized by institutions including the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Tony Awards circles through nominations and wins tied to recordings released by major labels. Induction into halls honoring composers has placed her alongside members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and recipients of lifetime achievement awards administered by organizations like ASCAP and BMI. Her songs feature in retrospectives at museums and archives such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Paley Center for Media, and are studied in curricula at conservatories including the Berklee College of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music.

Personal life and philanthropy

Her personal relationships intersected with public figures from the entertainment world, and she has been associated with philanthropic activities supporting institutions like The Actors Fund, health-related charities connected to organizations such as the American Heart Association, and arts funding through partnerships with foundations similar to the Guggenheim Foundation and community programs tied to the United Jewish Appeal. Residences and properties have been noted in locales including Los Angeles, New York City, and international cultural centers where she participated in benefit concerts at venues like Carnegie Hall and fundraisers hosted by galleries associated with the Museum of Modern Art.

Category:American songwriters Category:1944 births Category:Living people