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USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Alan Bergman, Oscar-winning songwriter for Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, dies at 99
Alan Bergman wrote a song with his future wife on the day they first met. Over the next 60 years, they never stopped making music together. Bergman was one half of one of the greatest American songwriting duos. The other half was his wife Marilyn, who died in 2022. On July 17, Alan Bergman died at 99, family spokesperson Ken Sunshine told Reuters. Together, the Bergmans wrote the lyrics for "The Way We Were" and "The Windmills of Your Mind," tunes for the film "Yentl," and the theme songs for 1970s television comedies "Maude," "Alice" and "Good Times." "It was a terrible song, but we loved the process," Bergman said in 2011 of that first collaboration. "And from that day on, we've been writing together." The songwriting team went on to win three Oscars, four Emmys and two Grammy awards, and to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. Their lyrics were set to the music of composers including Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, John Williams and Quincy Jones. Singers ranging from Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand and Sting recorded their songs. Johnny Mercer of 'Moon River' fame mentored Bergman Alan Bergman was born in September 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, in the same hospital where his wife was born a few years later. But the couple didn't meet until 1956, when they were introduced by the composer Lew Spence in Los Angeles. The couple married in 1958 and had one daughter. Bergman wrote his first song when he was 13 years old and continued to pen lyrics into his 90s, after his wife's death. The song "Wherever I May Go (for Marilyn)" was a tribute to her. Bergman studied at the University of North Carolina and completed a Master's degree in music at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he met songwriter Johnny Mercer. Mercer, who wrote the lyrics of "Moon River" for the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in 1961, became his mentor. Despite his desire to write songs, Bergman first worked as a TV producer in Philadelphia. At Mercer's urging, he moved to California in the 1950s. "I was writing both music and lyrics in those days, and he would listen to what I was writing and critique it and encourage me," Bergman told JazzTimes magazine in 2024. "I would not be here today without him. He was a great influence." Bergman liked to use a baseball analogy to explain the couple's writing process — pitching and catching ideas back and forth. He preferred to have the music before he began to write the lyrics. Composers would leave their compositions with the couple. They would then write words that fit the notes. "We believe that words are at the tips of those notes and it's our job to find them," he told NPR in 2011. "That's the adventure." Alan Bergman, wife Marilyn Bergman's big break came on Frank Sinatra's 'Nice 'n' Easy' "Yellow Bird" was the duo's first money-making song, but their big break came with Frank Sinatra's 1960 album "Nice 'n' Easy." The crooner became a friend of the couple. He referred to them as "the kids." They had another career breakthrough when they worked with composer and producer Quincy Jones in 1967 on the song "In the Heat of the Night," for the film of the same name. They won their first Academy Award for best original song for writing "The Windmills of Your Mind" the following year, with Michel Legrand, for the film "The Thomas Crown Affair." They were awarded another Oscar in 1974 for "The Way We Were" with Marvin Hamlisch, as well as a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1975. In 1983, the couple were the first songwriters to have written three of the five Oscar-nominated songs. Two years later they took home their third Academy Award for "Yentl," starring Barbra Streisand. The singer became a friend and frequent interpreter of their music, recording more than 50 of their songs. She released the album "What Matters Most" as a tribute to the Bergmans and their music. The couple's Emmys included awards for the TV movies "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" (1975) and "Sybil" (1977), and the song "Ordinary Miracles" from the 1995 Streisand special "Barbra: The Concert."
India Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Oscar-winning lyricist Alan Bergman, co-writer of 'The Way We Were,' dies at 99
Alan Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist who, alongside his wife Marilyn, formed a legendary songwriting duo behind hits like 'How Do You Keep the Music Playing?', 'It Might Be You,' and the classic 'The Way We Were,' has died at passed away late Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, according to family spokesperson Ken Sunshine. The statement released Friday said Bergman had been dealing with respiratory issues in recent months, 'but continued to write songs till the very end.'advertisementTogether with his wife Marilyn, who died in 2022, Alan Bergman penned some of the most enduring lyrics in American film and music. As reported by People, the Bergmans won three Oscars, four Emmys, and two Grammys over their six-decade careers, frequently collaborating with composer Michel Legrand and singer Barbra Streisand. Born in Brooklyn in 1925, Bergman knew by age 12 that he wanted to become a songwriter. He studied at the University of North Carolina. Through composer Lew Spence, Bergman met Marilyn, and their professional collaboration soon turned into romance. The couple married in 1958 and welcomed their daughter, Julie, in 1960.'The Way We Were' was the top-selling song of 1974 and earned the Bergmans one of their three Oscars — the others being for 'The Windmills of Your Mind' and the Yentl soundtrack, the Streisand-directed film from 1983. At times, the Academy Awards felt like a Bergman tribute: In 1983, three of the five Best Song nominees featured their lyrics. The Bergmans received 16 Oscar nominations in Bergmans also won two Grammys, four Emmys, were presented numerous lifetime achievement honors and received tributes from individual artists, including Streisand's 2011 album of Bergman songs, 'What Matters Most.' On 'Lyrically, Alan Bergman,' Bergman handled the vocals to people, the Bergmans were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1979. In 2013, they were given the Recording Academy's Trustee Award. Aside from film, they wrote iconic theme songs for television programs such as Maude and Good Times.- Ends
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From ‘In the Heat of the Night' to ‘E.T,' Streisand to ‘Severance': How Alan Bergman soundtracked Hollywood
Four Emmys. Three Oscars. Two Grammys. One-half of a legendary songwriting team who made an enduring impact on the soundtrack of Hollywood. Alan Bergman — whose collaboration with wife Marilyn resulted in dozens of indelible songs performed from everyone from Frank Sinatra to Barbra Streisand to Michael Jackson, and soundtracked everything from In the Heat of the Night to Severance — died Thursday at the age of 99. (Marilyn died in 2002.) More from Gold Derby How 'Smurfs' points to the dire straits of the Best Animated Feature Oscar race 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' features shocking cameos by 2 award winners (spoilers!) The Bergmans formed a formidable lyric-writing duo, teaming with several of the greatest composers of the 20th century, including Quincy Jones, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, and Marvin Hamlisch. They received the Trustees Award from the Grammys in 2013 and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980; the couple also received the organization's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 1997. Here are 10 must-hear classics from their award-worthy songbook. 'Nice 'n' Easy' (1960) Cowritten with Lew Spence, the swinging lead single from Frank Sinatra's hit album was a breakout smash for the young songwriting tandem. It also earned them their first Song of the Year Grammy nomination. 'In the Heat of the Night' (1967) With music by Jones, this is the song that put the Bergmans on Hollywood's radar. From the Best Picture-winning film of the same name, the track — which played over the opening titles — featured a soulful performance by Ray Charles. 'The Windmills of Your Mind' (1968) The Bergmans had a fruitful partnership with French composer Michel Legrand. Their first team-up resulted in this classic from The Thomas Crown Affair, and earned them their first Oscar for Best Original Song. Originally performed by Noel Harrison, it was later recorded by the likes of Dusty Springfield, José Feliciano, Johnny Mathis, Don Knotts (in a manic rendition for The Muppet Show), and Mel Tormé — whose version memorably underscored the final scene of Season 2 of Severance as Mark and Helly race off into an uncertain future. 'The Way We Were' (1973) The Bergmans won their second Oscar by teaming up with Hamlisch for the theme to the hit Streisand-Robert Redford romance. The track was sung by Streisand, who became a frequent interpreter of the couple's songs. The tune also earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and the Bergmans won a second Grammy for the soundtrack album. 'Good Times' (1974) Two years after cowriting the theme song to "Maude," the Bergmans and Dave Grusin came up with an even more impactful opening number for "Good Times." While the show didn't earn any Emmy glory, the theme, performed by Jim Gilstrap and Blinky Williams, became an enduring piece of pop culture. That was due, in part, to the inscrutable lyrics, which were a subject of one of Dave Chappelle's "I Know Black People" sketches on Chappelle's Show. 'Fify Percent' (1978) The Bergmans and composer Billy Goldenberg earned an Emmy for their 1975 TV musical Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, starring Maureen Stapleton and Charles Durning. The production was adapted for Broadway in 1978 and retitled Ballroom, with Dorothy Loudon and Vincent Gardenia taking over the lead roles. Although it only ran for 116 performances, Ballroom earned Tony nomination for Best Musical and provided Loudon with a show-stopping number in "Fifty Percent." 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' (1978) Cowritten by Neil Diamond for the Norman Lear sitcom All That Glitters, the song ultimately went unused when Lear changed the show's direction. Diamond and Streisand each subsequently released solo versions of the song, which several deejays spliced together to make an unauthorized duet. The artists decided to record an official version and saw it top the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. It also won the songwriters the Grammy for Song of the Year. 'Someone in the Dark' (1982) With music by Rod Temperton, this Michael Jackson song was the big hit from the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial album, which also included the iconic John Williams theme and an audiobook of the film narrated by Jackson. Jackson would go on to win a Grammy for Best Recording for Children. 'Papa, Can You Hear Me'/ 'The Way He Makes Me Feel' (1983) The Bergmans and Legrand received two Best Song nominations for these tracks from Barbra Streisand's Yentl and ultimately won for Best Original Song Score. Best of Gold Derby 'Five new life forms from distant planets': Everything to know about 'Alien: Earth' as new trailer drops Billboard 200: Chart-topping albums of 2025 Billboard Hot 100: Every No. 1 song of 2025 Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Alan Bergman, Oscar-winning lyricist behind The Way We Were, dies at 99
Oscar winning songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman arrive at the 26th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Hollywood, California on April 22, 2009. NEW YORK - Alan Bergman wrote a song with his future wife on the day they first met. Over the next 60 years they never stopped making music together. Bergman was one half of one of the greatest American songwriting duos. The other was his wife Marilyn, who died in 2022. Together, the couple wrote the lyrics for The Way We Were and The Windmills of Your Mind, tunes for the film Yentl, and the theme songs for 1970s television comedies Maude, Alice and Good Times. 'It was a terrible song, but we loved the process,' Bergman said in 2011 of that first collaboration. 'And from that day on, we've been writing together.' The songwriting team went on to win three Oscars, four Emmys and two Grammy awards, and to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. Their lyrics were set to the music of composers including Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, John Williams and Quincy Jones. Singers ranging from Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand and Sting recorded their songs. Bergman died on July 17, aged 99, family spokesperson Ken Sunshine told Reuters. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore What is UNC3886, the group that attacked Singapore's critical information infrastructure? 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'You could look at this, like, that's how committed Alan is to the relationship and how committed he is to songwriting.' Alan Bergman was born in September 1925 in Brooklyn, New York in the same hospital as his wife a few years later. But the couple didn't meet until 1956 when they were introduced by the composer Lew Spence in Los Angeles. Bergman studied at the University of North Carolina and completed a Master's degree in music at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he met songwriter Johnny Mercer. Mercer, who wrote the lyrics of Moon River for the film Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961, became his mentor. Despite his desire to write songs, Bergman first worked as a TV producer in Philadelphia. At Mercer's urging he moved to California in the 1950s. 'I was writing both music and lyrics in those days, and he would listen to what I was writing and critique it and encourage me,' Bergman told JazzTimes magazine last year. 'I would not be here today without him. He was a great influence.' Bergman liked to use a baseball analogy to explain the couple's writing process - pitching and catching ideas back and forth. He preferred to have the music before he began to write the lyrics. Composers would leave their compositions with the couple. They would then write words that fit the notes. 'We believe that words are at the tips of those notes and it's our job to find them,' he told radio station NPR in 2011. 'That's the adventure.' 'The kids' Yellow Bird was the duo's first money-making song, but their big break came with Frank Sinatra's 1960 album Nice 'n' Easy. The crooner became a friend of the couple. He referred to them as 'the kids.' They had another career breakthrough when they worked with composer and producer Quincy Jones in 1967 on the song In the Heat of the Night for the film of the same name. They won their first Academy Award for best original song for writing The Windmills of Your Mind the following year, with Michel Legrand, for the film The Thomas Crown Affair. They were awarded another Oscar in 1974 for The Way We Were with Marvin Hamlisch, as well as a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1975. In 1983, the couple were the first songwriters to have written three of the five Oscar-nominated songs. Two years later they took home their third Academy Award for Yentl, starring Barbra Streisand. The singer became a friend and frequent interpreter of their music. Streisand recorded more than 50 of their songs. She released the album What Matters Most as a tribute to the Bergmans and their music. 'When she does our songs, she finds things that always surprise us,' Bergman told Reuters in 2011. 'She deepens them. She gets all the nuances, everything, so it's thrilling.' The couple's Emmys included awards for the TV movies Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975) and Sybil (1977), and the song Ordinary Miracles from the 1995 Streisand special Barbra: The Concert. The couple married in 1958 and had one daughter. Bergman said he loved songwriting. Doing it for so long with someone he loved made it that much more beautiful. REUTERS
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Alan Bergman dies at 99 after legendary songwriting career with Marilyn Bergman
Alan Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist known for his decades-long partnership with his wife Marilyn Bergman, died Thursday night at the age of 99. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he passed away from natural causes at his Los Angeles home, as confirmed by his daughter, producer Julie Bergman Sender. Together, Alan and Marilyn Bergman formed one of the most successful songwriting teams in film history. Their lyrical collaborations spanned more than 50 years and included timeless classics such as 'The Way We Were,' 'The Windmills of Your Mind,' and 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers.' Marilyn Bergman died in January 2022 at the age of 93. The Bergmans were frequent collaborators with Barbra Streisand, composer Michel Legrand, and Marvin Hamlisch. They earned three Academy Awards: for 'The Way We Were' (1973), 'The Windmills of Your Mind' (1968), and the score for Yentl (1983). They were also nominated 16 times across their careers, earning recognition for songs featured in The Thomas Crown Affair, Same Time, Next Year, The Happy Ending, and Sometimes a Great Notion, among others. Their influence extended to television as well, writing theme songs for shows such as Maude, Good Times, Alice, and Brooklyn Bridge. The duo also received three Emmy Awards and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. Alan was born in Brooklyn on September 11, 1925, and served in World War II before pursuing music and theater at the University of North Carolina and later UCLA. Early in his career, he worked as a TV director at CBS in Philadelphia, where he met legendary songwriter Johnny Mercer, who encouraged him to write lyrics. Alan and Marilyn met in 1956, marrying two years later. Their first collaborations included work with Fred Astaire, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra. In addition to his daughter Julie, Alan Bergman is survived by his granddaughter, Emily.
