Award-Winning Lyricist Alan Bergman Passes Away at 99

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that lyricist Alan Bergman, who worked with his late wife Marilyn on numerous hit songs for the screen, passed away on Thursday at his Los Angeles home at the age of 99. He is survived by their daughter, Julie Bergman, and a granddaughter. Marilyn passed away in 2022 at 93 years old.

In their 50+ year career together as songwriters, Alan and Marilyn Bergman collaborated frequently with many artists, including Dave Grusin, John Williams, Quincy Jones, James Newton Howard, Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel, Cy Coleman, Henry Mancini and Marvin Hamlisch. Among many other accolades, the pair won three Academy Awards, three Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and one Cable Ace Award.

Some of their most notable works include "The Windmills of Your Mind," "The Way We Were," and the score for Barbara Streisand's film, Yentl. Some of their Oscar-nominated songs are "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" from Best Friends, "Papa Can You Hear Me?" and "The Way He Makes Me Feel" from Yentl, and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" from The Happy Ending. The Bergmans were first nominated for an Oscar in 1968. The lyrical duo made history in 1983 when three out of the five Academy Award for Best Song nominations went to their songs. In 2007, Alan released the jazz album Lyrically, Alan Bergman. The album includes songs he wrote with his wife and marked his debut as a vocalist.

On Broadway, they contributed lyrics for Something More! in 1964, with music by Sammy Fain, and later for the 1978 musical Ballroom, featuring music by Billy Goldenberg.

The Bergmans also won Emmy Awards for Sybil, Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, Ordinary Miracles, and A Ticket to Dream. Barbara Streisand released a Grammy-nominated collection of their songs in 2011, titled What Matters Most.