Buddy Bregman, born Louis Isidore Bregman on July 9, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, was a renowned American arranger, composer, conductor, producer, and director. He passed away on January 8, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, due to Alzheimer's disease. Bregman was the nephew of famed songwriter Jule Styne and the father of actress Tracey E. Bregman.

Bregman's career in music began early, as he wrote his first arrangement at the age of eleven. After attending the University of California in Los Angeles, he left to pursue a career in music. He gained recognition for arranging and conducting the hit record "Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin')" for The Cheers during his sophomore year. In 1955, he became the orchestra leader for the Gary Crosby Show on CBS radio.

At the age of 25, Bregman was appointed head of A&R at Verve Records, where he arranged and conducted music for artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, contributing to her double-platinum album "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook." He also worked with Bing Crosby on the album "Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings."

Bregman expanded his talents into television and film, producing and directing shows for the BBC and serving as Head of Entertainment for London Weekend ITV. He later returned to the U.S. to work on various television productions.

His contributions to music continued with the release of a compilation album, "Buddy Bregman: A Jazz Portrait of the Hollywood Arranger," and a final project in 2006, where he arranged and conducted a new album of pop and jazz standards, marking a poignant return to the podium.

Bregman was married twice, first to Gloria Haley, with whom he had one child, and later to actress Suzanne Lloyd, with whom he also had one child. His legacy in the music industry is marked by his collaborations with some of the biggest names in the business and his influential role in shaping the sound of mid-20th-century jazz and pop music.