Norman Gimbel

Norman Gimbel was an American songwriter.

Early in his career, Gimbel wrote hit songs for Dean Martin, Andy Williams, and Teresa Brewer.

He also wrote the English lyrics of “The Girl From Ipanema,” Antonio Carlos Jobim’s 1964 bossa nova hit, originally written in Portuguese.

In their 30-year partnership, Gimbel and songwriter Charles Fox wrote more than 150 songs together, earning Oscar nominations for Olivia Newton-John’s “Richard’s Window” (from 1975’s The Other Side of the Mountain) and Barry Manilow’s “Ready to Take a Chance Again” (from 1978’s Foul Play).

The duo also composed the themes to the hit television series Wonder Woman, The Paper Chase (for which they received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination), Laverne and Shirley, and Happy Days. The theme songs from Laverne and Shirley and Happy Days became hit records (for Cyndi Grecco and Pratt & McClain, respectively). Gimbel and Fox also wrote “I Got A Name” for Jim Croce, and won the Song of the Year Grammy Award in 1973 for “Killing Me Softly,” recorded by Roberta Flack.

Gimbel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984.

Gimbel died December 19, 2018, in Montecito, California. He was 91.