Alan Bergman, Oscar, Grammy and Emmy Awards, died

Alan Bergmanthe winning composer of Oscar, Grammy and Emmy, whose collaboration in the composition of letters with his wife Marilyn lasted more than six decades and produced successes such as “The Windmills of Your Mind”, “The Way We Were” and “In The Heat of The Night”he died Thursday night at his home in Los Angeles. He was 99 years old.

Marilyn Bergmandeceased in January 2022, she was the first woman president and president of the Board of Directors of the American Composers, Authors and Editors (ASCAP), an important copyright society for musical creators. Alan persevered even after his death, continuing with the creation of texts.

The Bergman, who wrote hundreds of songs, mainly for films and television, joined the traditional era of the great American songbook of Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin with the most modern pop sensitivity of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

His poetic touch, combined with the melodic gifts of many of his collaborators, raised the films in which they worked and turned them into first -line composers for first -line directors as Sydney Pollack, Norman Jewison and Richard Brooks.

The Bergman catalog, even leaving aside its numerous awards, constitutes a large part of the great cinematographic songs of the second half of the 20th century. Collaborating with composers such as Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, John Williams, Johnny Mandel, Dave Grusin, Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini, David Shire and James Newton Howarda stellar reputation for their ingenious and insicious playing play games were forged.

Alan and Marilyn Bergman’s prizes and nominations

The Bergman won three Oscar awards: for “Windmills” In 1968, with the French composer Legrand, of The Thomas Crown Affair; For the main song of The way we were In 1973, with Hamlisch; and by the soundtrack of Yentl of Barbra Streisand In 1983, again with Legrand.

They were nominated for 13 Oscar more awards, five of them with their close friend Legrand (including “What are you doing the rest of your life?” Of “The Happy Ending” of 1969, the main song of Pieces of Dreams 1970, “How do you keep the music playing?” of “Best Friends” of 1982 and two songs of “Yentl”, “Pope Can You Hear Me?” and “The Way He Makes Me Feel”).

Two more went with Hamlisch, for songs in “Same Time, Next Year” of 1978 and “Shirley Valentine” of 1980; two with Williams, for songs in “Yes, Giorgio” of 1982 and “Sabrina” of 1995; and individual songs with Mancini (for “Subtim to Great Notion” of 1971), Maurice Jarre (for “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” of 1972), Shire (for “The Promise” of 1979) and Grusin (for “Tootsie” of 1982).

Four of his 11 Grammy nominations went to song of the yearand won by the recording of Streisand of “The Way We Were” (which also won as the best soundtrack album). His other song nominations of the year were for “Nice ‘N’ Easy”, a success of Frank Sinatra in 1960; “The Summer Knows”, a 1971 Streisand song; and “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, a 1978 duet between Streisand and Neil Diamond.