One of the greatest lyricists to ever set words to melody, Norman Gimbel, has died. Gimbel penned a wide-ranging catalog of hits, including the classic "Killing Me Softly With His Song," which earned Gimbel a GRAMMY Award for Song Of The Year at the 16th GRAMMY Awards. He was 91 years old.

Born to two Jewish immigrants from Austria in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Nov. 16, 1927, Gimbel studied English at Baruch College and Columbia University and launched his career in music working in music publishing. He landed his first hit in 1953 as a co-writer of "Ricochet," which climbed to No. 2 on the charts thanks to a recording by Teresa Brewer.

After moving to Los Angeles, Gimbel linked up with his most frequent collaborator, Charles Fox, and began to make his mark in the world of television and film. The duo wrote themes for "Laverne and Shirley," "Happy Days," "Wonder Woman," and more. On the other coast, he also wrote lyrics for several Broadway musical.

Gimbel's early work included songs recorded by Dean Martin, Andy Williams, and Jim Croce, and he composed the English lyrics for the well-known bossa nova classic "The Girl From Ipanema." He earned his first GRAMMY nomination for "I Will Wait For You (Theme From The Umbrellas of Cherbourg)," which was nominated for Song Of The Year for the 8th GRAMMY Awards.

His GRAMMY win came eight years later after he and Fox collaborated with Lori Lieberman on "Killing Me Softly With His Song." Roberta Flack had a hit with her version and the song earned Gimbel and his writing partners Song Of The Year honors. More than two decades later, the Fugees recorded a version of the song, which earned them the GRAMMY for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for the 39th GRAMMY Awards.

“Norman had the extraordinary ability with his lyrics to capture the human condition with never an excessive word to describe a feeling or an action,” Fox said.

In 1979, Gimbel won an Oscar for "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae, and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1984.

"Gimbel was a brilliant lyricist highly regarded by the music, film, television, and theater industries," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "The entertainment industry has lost an incomparable lyricist, and our thoughts go out to his loved ones during this difficult time."

Gimbel died at his home in Montecito, Calif on Dec. 19. His son Tony, a managing partner of his father's music publishing company, confirmed the great lyricist's death. His memory lives on in the hearts he's touched and the words he crafted throughout his illustrious career.

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