Alan and Marilyn Bergman remembered by Barbra Streisand as parental figures and collaborat

Hollywood icon Barbra Streisand is mourning the death of a celebrated songwriter who she came to regard as a father figure, according to a close friend. Alan Bergman, who was 99, and his wife Marilyn, who died in 2022 aged 93, collaborated on a string of hits with the People star, including The Way We Were, You Don't Bring Me Flowers and Papa, Can You Hear Me? from Yentl.

The couple won three Oscars, four Emmys and two Grammy Awards. Alan died last month and Barbra, 83, said: "We met over 60 years ago and we never stopped loving each other and collaborating. My last conversation with him was about a wonderful new song he was working on. At 99, his creative gifts still flowed."

She added: "I will miss them both."

A friend of the star revealed: "Alan's passing has hit her hard and it cuts incredibly deeply for her to know that he and Marilyn aren't here anymore. They were like parents to her and losing them both now is utterly devastating."