Who was Burt Bacharach married to? All about his wife and children as legendary pop songwriter dies aged 94

Legendary pop songwriter Burt Bacharach has passed away at the age of 94. Publicist Tina Brausam reportedly confirmed the news of his demise via an official statement.

She said that Bacharach died of “natural causes” and took his last breath at his home in Los Angeles. The musician is known as one of the pop’s greatest composers and most important songwriters of the 20th century.

He garnered 73 Top 40 hits in the US and 52 in the UK and had often collaborated with artists like Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, and Elvis Costello.

On a personal front, Burt Bacharach was married four times. His first wife was Paula Stewart, and second wife was Angie Dickinson. He was also married to Carole Bayer Sager and Jane Hansen.

Hansen reportedly remained at Bacharach’s side until his death. The songwriter shared late daughter Nikki Bacharach with Dickinson and had sons Oliver and Raleigh with Hansen. He also adopted son Christopher with Sager.

---

Everything to know about Burt Bacharach’s wives and children

Burt Bacharach’s first marriage was to actress Paula Stewart, best known for playing the sister of Lucille Ball’s character in the 1960 Broadway musical Wildcat. She began acting as an understudy in Seventeen on Broadway and appeared on shows like Hogan’s Heroes, The Big Valley, and Love, American Style.

Stewart and Bacharach tied the knot in 1953 and divorced in 1958, five years after their wedding. The former married her second husband, Jack Carter, in 1961 and welcomed a son, Michael, together before parting ways in 1970.

Bacharach married his second wife, actress Angie Dickinson, in 1965. She began her career on the beauty pageant circuit and went on to earn a few guest roles on NBC shows. Dickinson eventually appeared on projects like Cry Terror, Police Woman, and China Gate.

She even appeared in films such as The Art of Love alongside Dick Van Dyke and Cast a Giant Shadow opposite Kirk Douglas. Bacharach and Dickinson welcomed their daughter Nikki in 1965 before divorcing in 1981.

In an essay published in the Daily Mail, Burt Bacharach shared that Nikki was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and lived in a treatment center for 10 years. The latter tragically died by suicide at the age of 40 in 2007.

Bacharach wed for the third time in 1982 and exchanged vows with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager. The latter was a New York University graduate who wrote the classic hit A Groovy Kind of Love as a teen. Sager released her self-titled debut in 1977 and a second album a year later.

Her third album, Sometimes Late at Night, was produced by Bacharach. During their marriage, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager adopted son Christopher Elton Bacharach. Unfortunately, the duo divorced in 1991, and Sager married businessman Robert Daly in 1996.

Bacharach walked down the aisle for the fourth time during his wedding to his fourth wife, athlete Jane Hansen, in 1993. The couple welcomed two children together, son, Oliver, and daughter, Raleigh.

According to Closer, Oliver owns a homemade ice cream company called Afternoon Deelite in Aspen, Colorado. He graduated from The University of Oregon and is also a pianist. Oliver went on a European tour with his father in 2013 and played the keyboard in Bacharach’s band.

Oliver is also very active on social media and shares photos while hanging out with his father, snowboarding, and spending time with his puppies. Meanwhile, Bacharach’s youngest daughter Raleigh graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina.

She also earned a master’s degree from San Diego State University and is reportedly an equestrian who competes across several the U.S. colleges. Raleigh also began working as a health promotion program administrator in Pitkin County, Colorado, in January 2022, per LinkedIn.

Jane Hansen was 32 years Burt Bacharach’s junior. The couple mostly stayed out of the public eye but remained together until the musician’s death.