Alan Bergman
It is with profound sadness, and an overwhelming sense of loss that we mark the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Alan Bergman.
Along with his wife Marilyn, they formed arguably the most important lyric-writing team in the history of film and television, creating an unparalleled catalogue of songs over six decades. Advisory Board Members since the SCL’s inception, Alan and Marilyn were officially honored as Ambassadors in 2010.
The past year has been a particularly emotional period for our community, as we’ve mourned so many of our icons.
Current SCL Vice President, Charles Bernstein, a life-long friend of so many who have recently passed, has offered his thoughts on this heart-wrenching trend, along with a personal tribute to Alan below.Rest in peace Alan. The exquisite words you and Marilyn crafted are your gift to the world, and will touch the hearts of millions forever.
Ashley Irwin
SCL President
I can only add a few personal words about the passing of our dear friend, Alan Bergman. It wasn’t long ago that we were writing about the loss of his extraordinary and much beloved wife and collaborator, Marilyn Bergman. This current summer has been a particularly rough one for those of us in the film music community. We have had to say our farewells to so many cherished friends and colleagues.
I can remember another unusual and devastating summer a generation ago in 2004 when a number of film music greats also left us, including Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein and David Raksin. At that time, I recall writing an article in The Score magazine about heartbreak, and the emptiness that these treasured colleagues left behind. This current summer has seen a similar, end-of-an-era, change in our world. One that we will never fill or forget. The SCL has already noted the passing of several deeply beloved friends this past year. No commentary can truly capture the sadness and sense of personal loss we all feel. My own world would not look remotely the same without the lifelong friendship and brilliance of Arthur Hamilton, the humor and musical wisdom of Lalo Schifrin, the overwhelming warmth and inspiration of Quincy Jones, the quirks and passions of Dick Sherman… (This is only to name a few, as each of us has found our own personal heroes and saviors along the way). I suppose we can only remain grateful for those many summers gone by, basking in the sunshine of such beloved and gifted friends who all share a musical passion.
Alan was wonderfully savvy. He was knowing and streetwise. He always felt to me like a living antithesis to naivety, with rock-solid values and unapologetic passions. Getting his take on things was a treat and sometimes even a challenge. I will miss him dearly. His incredulous observations and impassioned judgements still ring in my ears. And he had such impeccable taste and an amazing dedication to his work. Alan always brought a musician’s exacting ear to the lyrics he and Marilyn fashioned, enhancing their communion with the incredibly gifted composer-collaborators they attracted.
Alan’s passing comes at the end of a long and glorious era in film songwriting. It was a very special, personal, “handwritten” sort of era, which isn’t over yet by any means. Alan and Marilyn helped birth this tradition. They brought innovation and risk-taking, as well as subtlety and nuance to a fabulous new period of song lyrics for movies. It’s easy to forget how radical a film song like “Windmills of Your Mind” was in the 1960s.
Alan, Marilyn—and all the cherished souls who have now passed as well—will be missed by us more because of who they were, than because of what they’ve done. They will be rightly lauded in the press for their great accomplishments, but we will miss their “beings,” their smiles and rants, their presence among us.
And so, Alan, we mark your passing along with the passing of a special age. I—along with so many of us—just feel blessed to have shared a bit of it with you.
– Charles Bernstein
Read more about Alan Bergman’s career in this tribute by Jon Burlingame
in Variety.