Celebrating 100 years of Legendary Lyricist Alan Bergman

On September 11, 2025 the music world is coming together to Celebrate the Life of Emmy, Grammy, and Academy Award-winning lyricist Alan Bergman on what would have been his 100th birthday. Alan passed away on July 17at the age of 99. To recognize and remember Alan’s artistic excellence and profound humanitythroughout his inspiring life and career, friends, fans, collaborators and fellow artists will gather at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA for a true celebration of his life. As a founding member of the board, before his passing, Alan himself requested that this concert, originally announced as honoring his centennial birthday, benefit the Jazz Bakery.

The evening will feature performances by some of Alan and Marilyn’s closest friends, including Patti Austin, Shelly Berg, Aloe Blacc, Jackson Browne, Peter Erskine, Michael Feinstein, David Finck, Mitch Forman, Jason Gould, Dave Grusin, Tamir Hendelman, Trey Henry, Roger Kellaway, Seth MacFarlane, Serge Merlaud, Greg Phillinganes, Paul Reiser, Lee Ritenour, Sheléa, Tierney Sutton, and Lillias White, as well as contributions from Bill Charlap, Natalie Dessay, Pat Metheny, Neima Naouri, and Barbra Streisand.

Now joining the lineup is Kenny Loggins who will be performing with Hunter Hawkins, a young artist he is currently producing.

Alan’s daughter Julie Bergman says, “I can think of no better way to celebrate my father than with an evening of music performed by some of his closest collaborators and friends. He was an extraordinary man and to honor him this way is the best gift I could think of.”

Alan Bergman was one of the most influential lyricists in American music history, with a career spanning more than seven decades. In partnership with his late wife Marilyn Bergman, he co- wrote some of the most iconic songs in film and popular music, including “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “The Way We Were,” and “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” Their work has been performed by legendary artists such as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles, and featured in landmark films like Yentl, Tootsie, and Sabrina. The Bergmans also wrote the theme songs for classic television series including Maude, Good Times, and Alice. Their collaborators have included Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, Quincy Jones, and John Williams.

Following Marilyn’s passing in 2022, Alan continued to write, record, and perform, adding to a legacy that has helped define American songwriting. His most recent collaboration was with legendary guitarist and composer, Pat Metheny, who is set to record an album of 9 Bergman/Metheny songs later this year.

Alan and Marilyn’s work has been honored with some of the highest accolades in theentertainment industry, including three Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, three Grammy Awards, and four Emmy Awards. In fact, in 1983 they became the first songwriters to be nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Song out of the five nominated songs for “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” from “Best Friends,” “It Might Be You” from “Tootsie,” and “If We Were In Love,” from “Yes, Giorgio.” Alan and Marilyn have been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and received its prestigious Johnny Mercer Award, as well as the Grammy Trustee Award for lifetime achievement. Additional honors include the National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Music Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and the University of Massachusetts. Alan’s alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recognized him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Actor, comedian, and writer Paul Reiser comments, “My goal in life is to try to be even a small fraction of the man - and artist - that my dear friend Alan Bergman was. (I may need more than 100 years to get there, but… working on it.)”

Five-time Grammy-nominated recording artist Michael Feinstein states, “The songs Alan and Marilyn have written are part of a pantheon of enduring music that will live forever, for they are timeless expressions of the human condition, and will never grow old. The love that they fundamentally lived, expressed and demonstrated in life, imbues their work with a special eloquence and truth.

What an extraordinary tribute for one of America’s most cherished musical geniuses celebrating not only a legendary legacy in film and music but the power of song to connect generations. Join us as we celebrate Alan’s life and his brilliance while helping support the future of jazz.