Alyson Dutch Brown & Dutch Public Relations, Inc., 310-456-7151

THE THALIANS TO HONOR
BURT BACHARACH AT 48TH ANNUAL BALL

Ronnia Isley Appears to Perform Bacharach Songs

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, October 7, 2003 – Burt Bacharach, one of the greatest of all popular music composers and a dominant figure in the music of the last six decades, will receive the “Mr. Wonderful” award at the 48th annual Thalians Ball on Saturday, October 11, 2003 at the Century Plaza Hotel. Bachrach’s music has been performed by many artists, including Elvis Costello, Sherly Crow, Aretha Franklin, Roney Isley, Elton John, Mike Myers, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick. Bacharach will be joined by Ronnie Isley to perform “Close to You” and “Raindrops.” Together they will perform songs from Isley’s most recent Dreamworks album “Body Kiss” due in record stores on November 11, 2003. Bacharach will join a group of entertainment legends who have received the “Mr./Ms. Wonderful” award including Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Sally Field, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, Mary Tyler Moore, Debbie Reynolds, and many others.
The Thalians, Hollywood’s First Celebrity Charity, honors celebrities for their contributions to the world of entertainment. With 48 top ten hits, nine #1 hits, and over 500 songs, Bachrach’s music continues to set industry records and standards. The composer is currently producing, arranging and conducting an album of Bacharach songs sung by Isley, which will be released by Dreamworks Records in November 2003.
Bacharach and his songs have appeared numerous times on the top-rated “American Idol” television series, and the show released a charity single of the finalists’ version of the Bacharach 1967 classic, “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” which became a #4 hit on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 Singles Sales Charts. Mike Myers, aka “Austin Powers,” considers Bacharach his lucky charm, and has cast him all three “Austin Powers” films. In the film, “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” Bacharach’s “Alfie (What’s It All About Austin?)” is performed (by Susanna Hoffs) and appears on the soundtrack “Austin Powers In Goldmember.” Diana Krall’s CD, “The Look of Love,” gained critical praise and remained #1 on the jazz charts for a full year. Bacharach was the co-musical director on the 72nd Academy Awards in March 2000, had a top 10 CD in the UK in 2001, and his collaboration with Elvis Costello (“Painted From Memory”) on Mercury Records, won a Grammy for the single “I Still Have That Other Girl.” In December 2002, Bacharach was one of the recipients of the Recording Academy’s New York Heroes Awards. In May 2001, he received the prestigious Polar Music Prize, presented in Stockholm by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

The Thalians was created in 1955 by Nicky Blair, Richard Donner, Jack Haley Jr., Hugh O’Brian, David Wolper, and others who wanted to change the image of celebrities. Now headed by Debbie Reynolds and Ruta Lee, their legacy eventually raised approximately $30 million to build the Thalian Mental Health Center at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1973. Named after the Muse of Comedy, ‘Thalia,’ The Thalians has attracted most of Hollywood’s mega-stars. Unlike any organization of its’ kind, The Thalians serves as a star fraternity, boasting a rich membership list of the world’s most adored of the silver screen. Proceeds benefit the Thalian Mental Health Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Tickets are $300, $500 and $1,000 and can be obtained by calling 310.423.1040.

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