Alan Bergman, an Oscar, Emmy and Grammy Award winning lyricist, died at his Los Angeles home on Thursday, July 17. He was 99.
ALAN BERGMAN (Photo by John Michael Smith via Wikpedia)
Bergman wrote almost exclusively for six decades with his wife Marilyn, who died in 2022. They began writing together in 1956 before marrying in 1958.
Most of their collaborations were featured in motion pictures and they won Oscars with French composer Michel Legrand for “The Windmills of Your Mind” from “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Yentl,” the film musical directed by and starring Barbra Streisand. They won another Oscar with composer Marvin Hamlisch for the song “The Way We Were” from the film of the same title which starred Streisand.
Through many decades, the Bergmans went on to provide lyrics for several popular songs recorded by Streisand and others. They also were responsible for providing lyrics for popular TV series theme songs for “Maude” and “Good Times” (both produced by Norman Lear) as well as “Alice” and “In the Heat of the Night.”
Bergman and his wife also provided lyrics for several Broadway ventures including their debut in 1964’s “Something More!,” “Haarlem Nocturne” and “Street Corner Serenade.” Their most successful Broadway production was “Ballroom,” which starred Dorothy Loudon and was written with composer Billy Goldenberg.
Predeceased by his wife, Bergman is survived by his daughter Julie Bergman and one granddaughter.
