Oscar‑Winning Lyricist Alan Bergman Passes Away at 99.

Obituary

On July 17, 2025, celebrated American lyricist Alan Jay Bergman died at the age of 99 in Los Angeles. Born September 11, 1925, in Brooklyn, he left behind a legacy of award‑winning songs co‑written with his wife, Marilyn.


      - For over six decades, Alan partnered with his wife Marilyn Bergman, collaborating with composers like Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, Quincy Jones, and Dave Grusin. Their lyrics were brought to life by legends such as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, and Neil Diamond.

      - The husband-and-wife lyricist duo, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, earned remarkable recognition at the Academy Awards with three Oscar wins across different decades. In 1969, they won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “The Windmills of Your Mind,” a collaboration with composer Michel Legrand featured in the film The Thomas Crown Affair.

      - Their second Oscar came in 1974 for the emotionally resonant song “The Way We Were,” composed by Marvin Hamlisch and featured in the film of the same name. In 1984, they secured their third Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Yentl, once again working alongside Michel Legrand."

Main Point :-   (i) Beyond Oscars, Alan and Marilyn bagged four Emmy Awards for their work in television (e.g., Sybil and A Ticket to Dream) and received a Grammy Trustees Award in 1997 for lifetime achievement in music.

      (ii) Born in Brooklyn in 1925, Alan studied music at UNC and later UCLA. He met Marilyn in the late 1950s, marrying in 1958. They were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. Alan continued writing and releasing music—his vocal album ‘Lyrically, Alan Bergman’ appeared in 2007.

(iii) Alan is survived by his daughter Julie and granddaughter. He passed at home with his daughter by his side, after months of respiratory illness, but continued songwriting until the end.

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