Oscar-Winning Songwriter Dies at 99: Alan Bergman Wrote Music ‘Till the Very End’

The music world has lost one of the greats.

Oscar-winning lyricist Alan Bergman has died at 99.

Bergman, who wrote songs such as “The Way We Were” from the film of the same name and the Good Times theme song, passed away on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, a spokesperson said in a statement via PEOPLE. His daughter, Julie Bergman, was by his side at the time of his death.

“Bergman suffered from respiratory issues in recent months, but continued to write songs till the very end,” said the statement.

Bergman’s death comes over three years after his wife, Marilyn Bergman, died in January 2022 of respiratory failure. The two frequently collaborated and even worked with Barbra Streisand. Together, they won four Emmys, two Grammys, and three Oscars. The two Brooklyn natives met in California as adults while working with composer Lew Spence. In 1958, Alan and Marilyn tied the knot and welcomed Julie two years later.

Born in 1925, Bergman’s passion for songwriting came when he was just 12 years old and went to UCLA to pursue a graduate degree in music after graduating from the University of North Carolina. He wound up going into television, working as a director for baseball games and musical shows. Bergman moved to Philadelphia, where he was working for a station and writing songs on the side. There, he connected with songwriter Johnny Mercer, who encouraged him to return to Los Angeles to pursue songwriting. After collaborating with Spence, he was introduced to Marilyn, and the rest is history.

Alan and Marilyn wrote children’s songs,  unpaid club material, and singles when their partnership first started, before eventually branching out. They wrote for legendary singers such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. They have also worked with Quincy Jones, French composer Michel Legrand, and Neil Diamond. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the couple met Streisand when she was performing in a New York club as a teenager before she eventually made it big thanks to Funny Girl.

Songs that Alan and Marilyn wrote or co-wrote include “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” with Neil Diamond for Barbra Streisand, “The Way We Were” with composer Marvin Hamlisch for the 1973 Streisand film of the same name, “Windmills of Your Mind” with Legrand from 1968’s The Thomas Crown Affair, and their score for Streisand’s Yentl in 1983, among many others.

Along with songwriting, Alan Bergman also served four terms as president of the Academy Foundation, which is the educational and cultural arm of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.