Carole Bayer Sager

Carole Bayer was born in New York City, to Anita Nathan Bayer and Eli Bayer.{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E5D7153AF937A35750C0A96E9C8B63|title=Deaths: Bayer, Anita Nathan|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 5, 2008}} Her family was Jewish.{{cite book|last=Sager|first=Carole Bayer|date=2016|title=They're Playing Our Song: A Memoir|location=New York|publisher=Simon & Schuster|page=2|isbn=9781501153266}} She graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts, and speech. She had already written her first pop hit, "A Groovy Kind of Love", with Toni Wine, while still a student at New York City's High School of Music and Art.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_QQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dMwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5753,9601590 |title=Carole Bayer Sager's Novel Technique|newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal|first=Megan|last=Rosenfeld|date= October 29, 1985|access-date= June 22, 2012}} It was recorded by the British invasion band The Mindbenders, whose version was a worldwide hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was later recorded by Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, and Phil Collins, whose rendition for the film Buster reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.

Bayer Sager's first recording as a singer was the 1977 album Carole Bayer Sager, produced by Brooks Arthur. It included the hit single "You're Moving Out Today", a song which she co-wrote with Bette Midler and Bruce Roberts.[http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0093248 "You're Moving Out Today"]; Musicnotes.com. Retrieved June 22, 2012 The single became a 1977 Australian number one single and also reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1977. Paul Buckmaster provided horn and string arrangements for the album. The album also included Bayer Sager's versions of two songs previously recorded by Melissa Manchester – "Home to Myself" and the oft-covered "Come in from the Rain". It went platinum in Japan and Australia.

It was followed by ...Too in 1978, also produced by Brooks Arthur, which included all-star cameos by the likes of Michael McDonald, Alice Cooper and Manchester. It also included the first recording of "It's the Falling in Love" which subsequently would be covered by Michael Jackson on his 1979 multi-platinum album Off the Wall.

In 1981, she recorded Sometimes Late at Night, which was co-produced by future husband Burt Bacharach with Brooks Arthur, and included the single "Stronger Than Before", later recorded by Chaka Khan and Dionne Warwick. The song became Bayer Sager's only song to hit Billboard's American Top 40 as a performer, peaking at number 30. The track "Just Friends" featured a vocal cameo from Michael Jackson, who also co-produced the track with Bacharach, while Neil Diamond also co-produced and played guitar on the track "On The Way To The Sky" which he also recorded as the title track of his concurrent album On the Way to the Sky.

Bayer Sager had many hits during the 1970s. She co-wrote many songs with Melissa Manchester that appeared on Manchester's solo albums of the period, including "Come in from the Rain" and "Midnight Blue", which would go on to be covered by many other artists. She also worked with Australian songwriter Peter Allen, crafting hits such as "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" "You and Me (We Wanted It All)" and "Don't Cry Out Loud". She also scored major hits collaborating with Albert Hammond ("When I Need You") and Bruce Roberts ("You're the Only One").

With Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon, she wrote the lyrics for the 1978 stage musical They're Playing Our Song, which was loosely based on her relationship with Hamlisch. The musical ran for over three years on Broadway. She also wrote the lyrics, whilst Hamlisch composed the music, for "Nobody Does It Better", the Bond theme sung by Carly Simon in the film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).{{cite web | url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-story-and-meaning-behind-nobody-does-it-better-the-bond-theme-tailor-made-for-carly-simon/ | title=The Story and Meaning Behind "Nobody Does It Better," the Bond Theme Tailor-Made for Carly Simon | date=May 23, 2024 }}

Many of Bayer Sager's 1980s songs were co-written with her husband at the time, composer Burt Bacharach.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F6JlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oIwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6084,2807293 "Burt Bacharach with Carole Bayer Sager"]; The Vancouver Sun (Vancouver B.C.), June 7, 1984. Retrieved June 22, 2012 She executive-produced the eponymous solo album for June Pointer, of The Pointer Sisters, in 1989.

File:CaroleBayerSagerCaroleKingCynthiaWeilBarryMannHWOFDec2012.jpg, Cynthia Weil, and Barry Mann in December 2012]]

Bayer Sager has won an Academy Award (out of six nominations), a Grammy Award (out of nine nominations) and two Golden Globe Awards (out of seven nominations). She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987. Bayer Sager won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1982 for "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", theme song to the romantic comedy Arthur.{{cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1982|title=The 54th Academy Awards, 1982|date=March 2022 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carole-bayer-sager-on-creating-the-hit-theme-from-arthur/|title=Carole Bayer Sager on creating the hit theme from "Arthur"|date=October 14, 2016|work=CBS News}}

Bayer Sager received the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1987 for the song "That's What Friends Are For", which she co-wrote with Bacharach. This song was originally written for the 1982 film Night Shift, for which it was recorded by Rod Stewart. The song was popularized in a 1986 cover version by Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Elton John.

Her song with David Foster, "The Prayer", originally recorded by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, won the Golden Globe, and is often performed at weddings and funerals.

She was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Bayer Sager received the New York University Steinhardt Distinguished Alumni award in 2006. She received the 2019 "Johnny Mercer Award" from the Songwriters Hall of Fame during their 50th-anniversary induction ceremony. She was the sixth female songwriter to ever be awarded this honor.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/carole-bayer-sager-johnny-mercer-award-songwriters-hall-of-fame-1203156089/|title=Carole Bayer Sager to Receive Johnny Mercer Award at Songwriters Hall of Fame|work=Variety|date=March 6, 2019|access-date=March 6, 2019}}

She occasionally collaborated with Neil Sedaka,{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/vintage/features/songwriter-carole-bayer-sager-groovy-kind-of-love-1203241299/|title = Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager Reflects on Her First Hit, 'A Groovy Kind of Love'|first=Steven|last=Gaydos|magazine=Variety|date = June 14, 2019}} with 11 songs co-written between the two.

Alongside Bruce Roberts and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Bayer Sager co-wrote "Stronger Together", sung by Jessica Sanchez.{{cite web|url=http://www.teenvogue.com/story/hillary-clinton-stronger-together|author=De Elizabeth|title=Hillary Clinton taps American Idol's Jessica Sanchez for anthem 'Stronger Together'|work=Teen Vogue|date=August 1, 2016|access-date=August 19, 2016}} The song was played after Hillary Clinton's speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The song is named after the slogan that the Clinton campaign used as a show of uniting behind the Democratic nominee.{{cite web|url=https://americansongwriter.com/10-songs-you-didnt-know-babyface-wrote-for-other-artists/|title=10 Songs You Didn't Know Babyface Wrote for Other Artists|author=Tina Benitez-Eves|date=June 16, 2022 }}

In 2018, she co-wrote the song "Living in the Moment" for the film Book Club,{{cite web|title=Carole's song "Living in the Moment" will be featured in "Book Club|url=https://carolebayersager.com/2018/04/11/caroles-song-living-moment-will-featured-book-club/|website=carolebayersager.com|date=April 11, 2018|access-date=October 17, 2020}} recorded by Katharine McPhee, as well as two songs on Barbra Streisand's album Walls: "Better Angels" and "What's on My Mind". She contributed lyrics to "Ghost Town" on Kanye West's album Ye.

In April 2020, Lady Gaga closed out her One World: Together at Home concert with a new rendition of "The Prayer", co-performed with Dion, Bocelli, John Legend and classical pianist Lang Lang. The performance helped raise $127 million for the World Health Organization battling COVID-19 cases in America.

In May 2022, she was honored with a BMI Icon award at the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards {{cite web|url=https://www.bmi.com/press/entry/586481|title=Songwriting Legends Carole Bayer Sager and Mike Stoller To Be Honored as BMI Icons at 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards|date=April 12, 2022}}

Sager is an accomplished visual artist whose work includes large-scale photorealistic paintings.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

She married record-producer Andrew Sager in 1970, and they divorced in 1978.{{cite news|title=Singer-songwriter Carole Bayer Sager makes career change|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iDNSAAAAIBAJ&pg=1551,3954929|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|first=Clifford|last=Terry|date=October 20, 1985}} Bayer Sager was involved in a romantic relationship with composer Marvin Hamlisch in the late 1970s. On April 3, 1982, she married composer and pianist Burt Bacharach after over a year's cohabitation. In December 1985 the couple adopted an infant son, whom they named Cristopher Elton Bacharach. Bacharach and Sager divorced in 1991.{{cite news|title=Chronicle: Discord in the pop-music world|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/13/style/chronicle-636691.html|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Susan|last=Heller Anderson|date=July 13, 1991}}

Since June 1996, Bayer Sager has been married to Robert Daly,{{cite news|title=Weddings of the Year: Carole Bayer Sager & Robert Daly (June 8, 1996)|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20143420,00.html|work=People|date=February 10, 1997}} former chairman of Warner Brothers and former chairman / CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, and currently chairman of the American Film Institute (AFI). They live in Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=http://www.carolebayersager.com/about.html|title=About Carole Bayer Sager|publisher=CaroleBayerSager.com|access-date=March 11, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214072930/http://www.carolebayersager.com/about.html|archive-date=February 14, 2012}}

In October 2016, Bayer Sager published her memoir, They're Playing Our Song: A Memoir (Simon & Schuster).{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/carole-bayer-sager-on-her-new-memoir-theyre-playing-our-song/|title=Carole Bayer Sager on her new memoir: They're Playing Our Song, a New York Times Best Seller.|work=CBS News|access-date=October 17, 2016}} She also narrated the audiobook version.

• "Anyone at All" (theme from You've Got Mail) – Carole King
• "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", from Arthur – Christopher Cross
• "Better Off Alone" (Song from The Magic Is You) – Shirley Bassey
• "Crazy" – Neil Diamond
• "We Were Made For Each Other" – The Monkees
• "Don't Cry Out Loud" – Melissa Manchester
• "Don't Say You Love Me" – The Corrs
• "Ever Changing Times (ft Michael McDonald)" – Aretha Franklin
• "Everything Old Is New Again" – Peter Allen
• "Fly Away' – Peter Allen
• "Fool That I Am' (song from Coast to Coast) – Rita Coolidge
• "Front Page Story" – Neil Diamond
• "Ghost Town" – (from Ye) – Kanye West
• "Groovy Kind of Love" – The Mindbenders and Phil Collins
• "Heartlight" – Neil Diamond
• "How Do The Fools Survive" – Doobie Brothers
• "I Never Loved You Anyway" – The Corrs
• "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" – Rita Coolidge
• "I'm Guilty" – Neil Diamond
• "It's The Falling in Love" – Michael Jackson
• "Maybe" (themes from Romantic Comedy and Making Love) – Roberta Flack
• "Midnight Blue" – Melissa Manchester
• "On My Own" – Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
• "On The Way to the Sky" – Neil Diamond
• "One Hello" (theme from I Ought to Be in Pictures) – Randy Crawford
• "One Man" (co-written with Bayer Sager) – Sheena Easton
• "Our Night" – Shaun Cassidy
• "Past Forever" – Agnetha Fältskog, of ABBA
• "The Prayer" (theme from Quest for Camelot) – Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli; Josh Groban and Charlotte Church
• "Sleep With Me Tonight" – Neil Diamond, Patti LaBelle
• "Someone Else's Eyes" – Aretha Franklin ft Michael McDonald
• "Starmaker" – Judy Collins; The Kids from "Fame"
• "Through the Eyes of Love" (theme from Ice Castles) – Judy Collins
• "Turn Around" – Neil Diamond
• "We've Had Enough" – Michael Jackson
• "When You Love Someone" (theme from Forget Paris) – Anita Baker
• "Why Should I Care" (written for True Crime) Diana Krall
• "You Are My Life" – Michael Jackson
• "You're Moving Out Today" – Carole Bayer Sager

• Melissa Manchester ("Midnight Blue", "Come in From The Rain", "Don't Cry Out Loud", theme from Ice Castles (Through the Eyes of Love), etc..)
• Richard Marx ("Now and Forever")
• Bette Midler ("You're Moving Out Today", "Blueberry Pie", "My One True Friend" etc.)
• Liza Minnelli ("More Than I Like You", "Don't Cry Out Loud")
• Dolly Parton ("You're the Only One", "Heartbreaker", "The Day I Fall in Love" (theme from Beethoven's 2nd))
• Steve Perry ("I Stand Alone")
• Bernadette Peters ("Only Wounded", "Sweet Alibis")
• Kenny Rogers ("They Don't Make Them Like They Used To" (theme from Tough Guys))
• Diana Ross ("It's My Turn", "Come in from the Rain")
• Leo Sayer ("When I Need You")
• Frank Sinatra ("You and Me (We Wanted It All)")
• Carly Simon ("Nobody Does It Better" (theme from The Spy Who Loved Me))
• Dusty Springfield ("Dream On", "Home to Myself", "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love", etc...)
• Rod Stewart ("That's What Friends Are For" (closing theme from Night Shift))
• Barbra Streisand ("Niagara", "Love Light", "You and Me for Always", "One More Time Around", "Better Angels", "What's On My Mind" )
• Dionne Warwick ("Extravagant Gestures", "Love Power", "Stronger Than Before", etc...)
• Dionne & Friends (Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder) ("That's What Friends Are For")

• Georgy (1970) – musical – lyricist
• Dancin' (1978) – revue – featured lyricist for If It Feels Good, Let It Ride and Easy
• They're Playing Our Song (1979) – musical – lyricist
• Up in One (1979) – revue – featured songwriter
• The Madwoman of Central Park West (1979) – musical – featured songwriter
• Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre (1987) – concert – featured songwriter
• The Boy from Oz (2003) – musical – featured songwriter with Peter Allen

• American Idol (2007) – guest judge

{{main|Academy Awards}}

The Academy Awards are awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Bayer Sager has earned 1 award from 6 nominations.

{{main| Golden Globe Awards}}

The Golden Globe Awards are awarded annually by the Golden Globe Foundation. Bayer Sager has earned 2 awards from 11 nominations.

{{main|Grammy Awards}}

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bayer Sager has earned 1 award from 9 nominations.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/carole-bayer-sager/5930|title=Grammy Awards: Carole Bayer Sager|accessdate=April 2, 2025}}

{{main|Primetime Emmy Awards}}

The Primetime Emmy Awards are awarded annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Bayer Sager has earned 1 nomination.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.carolebayersager.com/ Official website]
• {{Shof|id=140|name=Carole Bayer Sager}}
• {{AllMusic|class=artist |id=p15703}}
• {{IMDb name|4728|Carole Bayer Sager}}
• {{IBDB name}}
• [http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-11-08/songwriter-carole-bayer-sager-on-the-stories-behind-her-music Radio interview] on The Diane Rehm Show (50 mins, 2016)

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Category:1944 births

Category:21st-century American composers

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Category:Best Original Song Academy Award–winning songwriters

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Category:Singers from New York City

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