Marilyn Bergman’s husband, the Oscar-winning lyricist who wrote timeless classics with her, has died at 99. Julie Bergman, Producer and daughter of Alan Bergman, the family announced that he died on Thursday night at his residence in Los Angeles of natural causes. With lyrical elegance and poetic depth cast into song, this generation gave us classics like The Way We Were, The Windmills of Your Mind, You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, and Nice ’n’ Easy. In various ways, his works touched older generations and earned recognition across the globe. Together, they created a body of work of hit songs and standards that would last forever.
A Marilyn Bergman Collaboration.
Alan met Marilyn Katz in 1956, and they wrote a song on the very first day. Although that song I Never Knew What Hit Me was never a hit, it started something that would last. They took the marriage vows in 1958, and the duo was together for a little more than 60 years.
Both were born in the same hospital in Brooklyn, but three years apart, and lived within the same neighborhood. But fate waited until they both moved to Los Angeles before bringing them together.
Composer Lew Spence introduced them, and their first major collaboration was That Face for Fred Astaire. Alan gave Marilyn that song as an engagement present. Later, they wrote Sleep Warm for Dean Martin and Nice ’n’ Easy for Frank Sinatra.
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Hits That Spanned Generations
Topping the chart in 1974, the song The Way We Were (co-written by Hamlisch) was transformed into a cultural phenomenon by the late Barbra Streisand. It was given an Oscar and a Grammy for Best Song and Album. Another.The third Academy Award was for the score of Streisand’s Yentl in 1983.
They were nominated annually, starting in 1969, until 1974 for a total string of eight nominations, and in 1983 and 1984, they were nominated three times each, making a total of 16 nominations.
Deep bond with Barbra
Marilyn met him backstage and said, ‘Do you realize how good you are?’ They went on to write many of her biggest hits. Originally recorded separately, Streisand and Diamond later did the duet because of public demand. Streisand has recorded three songs after After the Rain, One Day, and Rainy Afternoons. They worked together until Marilyn’s passing in 2022.
Lyrics That Made the Screen and More
The Bergmans didn’t stop at romantic ballads. They were Oscar-nominated for What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?, Pieces of Dreams and The Last Time I Felt Like This. That introduced their work to a new generation.
Television Domination
Their lyrics extended to television. The Bergmans wrote theme songs for Maude, Good Times, Alice, Bracken’s World and Brooklyn Bridge. They won three Emmy Awards and remained relevant in TV music.
Their lyrics weren’t just emotional but socially conscious. Happy tunes birthing real-life issues, just as Good Times did: Such songs render this duty with comparable beauty, with upbeat songs counterpoised against No Easy Way Out. Alan once said creativity was messy but necessary. “You sometimes have to go through silly things to spark your collaboration,” he said in a 1980 interview.
Early Life and Songwriting Beginnings
Alan learnt about music and theatre at the University of North Carolina. He got his master’s from UCLA and served in World War II, directing programs for Special Services.
After the war, Bergman worked as a TV director at CBS in Philadelphia, where she met Johnny Mercer, who was her mentor. Mercer later told him to go back to Los Angeles and focus on songwriting.
Alan took that advice and prospered. He wrote for Gower and Marge Champion and staged shows for Jo Stafford before teaming up with Marilyn.
Leadership, Legacy and Later Life
Alan was president of the Academy Foundation (the educational and cultural arm of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) for four terms. He stayed with music for years and made his album, Alan Bergman – Lyrically, in 2007.
Despite respiratory issues, Alan continued to write songs into his 90s. He passed away at home with his daughter Julie by his side. Julie is a producer with G.I. Jane, Six Days Seven Nights and The Fabulous Baker Boys.
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A Life in Lyrics
Alan Bergman didn’t just write songs; he captured feelings, moments and memories. His words went from the silver screen to living rooms and stayed in hearts around the world.
Whether sung by Sinatra, Streisand or Ray Charles, his lyrics never failed to connect. Love, loss, longing and happiness were portrayed honestly and yet set with precision.
His life was a symphony of collaboration, memory and magic. And through every note and every word, Alan Bergman lives on.
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