Alan Bergman, Oscar-winning songwriter behind 'The Way We Were,' dies at 99

 Oscar-winning songwriter Alan Bergman dies at 99

Alan Bergman, the legendary lyricist known for writing timeless songs with his late wife Marilyn Bergman, has died at the age of 99. He passed away Thursday night at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement from family spokesperson Ken Sunshine. Bergman had been facing respiratory issues in recent months but continued writing songs until the end.

Alan and Marilyn Bergman, married since 1958 until Marilyn’s death in 2022, formed one of the most successful songwriting duos in music history. Together, they penned iconic hits like “The Way We Were,” “It Might Be You,” and “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” Their work was performed by musical greats such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Jackson, and especially Barbra Streisand, who became a close collaborator and friend.

Despite Marilyn’s passing, a planned celebration for Alan’s 100th birthday will still be held at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Artists like Michael Feinstein, Jackson Browne, and Patti Austin are expected to participate. Feinstein remembered the Bergmans as “kind, talented, and principled artists who lived from a place called love.”

Blending the romantic flair of Tin Pan Alley with modern pop, the Bergmans crafted lyrics that became part of pop culture, even if their names remained unfamiliar to many. Their best-known works include “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (a duet by Streisand and Neil Diamond), Sinatra’s “Nice 'n' Easy,” and themes for the 1970s TV shows “Maude” and “Good Times.”

They also wrote for major films, including “The Windmills of Your Mind” from The Thomas Crown Affair, “In the Heat of the Night” by Ray Charles, and “It Might Be You” from Tootsie. Perhaps their most famous song, “The Way We Were,” performed by Streisand for the 1973 film of the same name, became a deeply emotional anthem of nostalgia and was the best-selling song of 1974. It earned them one of their three Academy Awards, alongside wins for “Windmills of Your Mind” and the Yentl soundtrack. They received a total of 16 Oscar nominations, as well as two Grammys, four Emmys, and multiple lifetime achievement honors.

The Bergmans' career also extended beyond film. They wrote for Broadway (Ballroom) and even composed lyrics for orchestral works like Visions of America. Their personal story was just as harmonious—they were born in the same Brooklyn hospital, raised in the same neighborhood, and moved to California the same year. Their romantic journey even included a musical proposal: Alan wrote “That Face” for Fred Astaire, Marilyn’s favorite singer at the time. When Astaire agreed to record it, Alan used the opportunity to propose.

Alan Bergman is survived by his daughter, Julie Bergman, and a granddaughter. He had dreamed of being a songwriter since childhood, studied music and theater at the University of North Carolina, earned a master's degree at UCLA, and was mentored by songwriting legend Johnny Mercer. He and Marilyn got their start writing children’s songs and found commercial success in the late 1950s with “Yellowbird.”

Reflecting on their creative bond, Alan once said their collaboration was so in sync that they’d often come up with the same word at the same time. One of their deeply personal songs, “A Love Like Ours,” summed up their connection:
“When love like ours arrives / We guard it with our lives / Whatever goes astray / When a rainy day comes around / A love like ours will keep us safe and sound.”