Carole Bayer Sager

Carole Bayer Sager, born Carol Bayer on March 8, 1944, in New York City, New York, began her extensive career in music early, even penning her first pop hit, “A Groovy Kind of Love,” while still attending New York City’s High School of Music and Art. After graduating from New York University with majors in English, dramatic arts, and speech, she continued to build a prolific songwriting portfolio. Her debut as a singer came with her 1977 album, “Carole Bayer Sager,” which featured the single “You’re Moving Out Today.” This song achieved considerable success, reaching number one in Australia and number six on the UK Singles Chart.

Throughout the 1970s and beyond, Bayer Sager was a consistent force in the music industry, co-writing numerous hits with collaborators such as Melissa Manchester and Peter Allen. Her work extended to Broadway, where she wrote the lyrics for the 1978 musical “They’re Playing Our Song,” which was inspired by her relationship with Marvin Hamlisch and ran for over three years. She also famously co-wrote “Nobody Does It Better,” the James Bond theme for “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977), performed by Carly Simon. Her partnership with Burt Bacharach, to whom she was married, proved highly fruitful, yielding pop standards like “On My Own” and “That’s What Friends Are For.” The latter won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1987 and notably raised over two million dollars for AIDS research through its popular cover by Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and Elton John.

Bayer Sager’s career is marked by significant accolades, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and received the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award in 2019. Her songs have been recorded by a diverse array of artists such as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Barbra Streisand. Notably, her song “The Prayer,” co-written with David Foster, earned a Golden Globe and remains a versatile piece performed at various life events. In 2016, she released her New York Times best-selling memoir, “They’re Playing Our Song,” offering an introspective look into her personal and professional journey. She continues to be recognized for her contributions, receiving a BMI Icon award in 2022.