Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- Hal David , the lyricist behind such standards as `` Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head '' and `` What the World Needs Now is Love , '' has died at 91 , the American Society of Composers , Authors and Publishers said Saturday . The Oscar- and Grammy-winning songwriter , who teamed with musician Burt Bacharach on dozens of hit songs , died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles from complications of a stroke , ASCAP said . David 's greatest hits . David started working with Bacharach in the late 1950s on tunes recorded by artists including Perry Como , Gene Pitney , Dusty Springfield , Tom Jones , Frank Sinatra , the Carpenters , Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick . In May , President Barack Obama and the first lady hosted a concert honoring Bacharach and David as part of the `` In Performance at the White House '' series . `` As a lyric writer , Hal was simple , concise and poetic -- conveying volumes of meaning in fewest possible words and always in service to the music , '' ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said . `` It is no wonder that so many of his lyrics have become part of our everyday vocabulary and his songs ... the backdrop of our lives . '' Singer Smokey Robinson on Saturday said David was one of his songwriting idols when he was growing up . `` I hope that the music world will join together in celebrating the life of one of our greatest composers ever , '' Robinson said in a statement Saturday . `` I will really miss my friend but I will celebrate his life and he will live on-and-on through his incredible musical contribution . '' Lyricist Carole Bayer Sager , who also worked extensively with then-husband Burt Bacharach , said David made Bacharach 's melodies seem `` effortless . '' David was president of ASCAP from 1980 till 1986 . The Recording Academy called David an `` exquisite lyricist '' whose work has left a `` lasting impact on our culture . '' He was born in Brooklyn , New York , to parents who had immigrated from Austria . He studied journalism at New York University before joining the military during World War II . Returning to New York after the war , he began working with songwriters he met at the famous Brill Building , which at the time was the center of the city 's song industry , ASCAP said . It was his collaboration with Bacharach that proved the most fruitful . They were some of the first to work with Warwick when she was a young vocalist . Dionne Warwick sings Hal David 's last lyrics . They also helped Herb Alpert to No . 1 with `` This Guy 's in Love With You '' and wrote The Carpenters ' No . 1 hit `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You . '' British Invasion stars like Springfield and Sandie Shaw sought the pair 's talents in the 1960s , and they got Tom Jones into the Top 10 with `` What 's New Pussycat . '' The pair 's accomplishments extended to stage and screen as well . They wrote scores and themes for 1960s films including `` Alfie '' and `` Casino Royale . '' Their `` Raindrops '' tune was written for `` Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid '' and reached No . 1 . They wrote the score for the musical `` Promises , Promises , '' which was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Grammy for best Cast Album of the Year in 1970 . David parted ways with Bacharach in the early 1970s , but he went on to work with other composers , including Albert Hammond -- with whom he wrote `` To All the Girls I 've Loved Before . '' His first wife , Anne , died in 1987 . He is survived by his wife , Eunice ; two sons , three grandchildren , and two stepsons . David 's older brother Mack , who died in 1991 , was also a famous songwriter who wrote such hits as `` La Vie en Rose , '' `` Candy , '' and `` Bibiddi-Bobbidi-Boo . '' People we 've lost in 2012 : They lives they lived .
He co-wrote dozens of hits with Burt Bacharach . His songs include `` Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head '' Frank Sinatra , Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick recorded his songs . He was an Oscar and Grammy Award winner .