Burt Bacharach: Autobiography forced me to come to terms with daughter's suicide

Music legend Burt Bacharach has said that writing his autobiography helped him come to terms with his daughter's 2007 suicide.

The music writer and producer said: "it was very tough because I had to revisit what that period was and go deeper into it."

Nicki was born prematurely to Bacharach and former wife Angie Dickinson, and grew up with emotional issues, which were later diagnosed as Asperger's syndrome.

"Nobody said she's got Asperger's or she's got autism. [They said] she's just got behaviour things," he said.

In 2007, at the age of 40, Nikki took her own life.

Bacharach said: "it's like the boy who cried wolf. Somebody who says, 'I can't stand it. The helicopters are making too much noise and the gardeners and the blowers are making too much noise and if they don't stop I'm going to kill myself'."

Speaking about a note Nikki had left for him, he said: "I know exactly what's in the note. I never read the note. I never will," he added, "there is no need to read it. I already know what she said."

The 84-year-old, who composed I'll Never Fall In Love Again, and the Oscar-winning Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, said unearthing his past was essential to his book Anyone Who Had A Heart: My Life And Music.

The award-winning composer continues to make music, with an upcoming project for a musical with Elvis Costello.

Samaritans is available for anyone in any type of distress on 08457 90 90 90 in the UK or visit their website www.samaritans.org