As reported by Stereogum, esteemed songwriter Cynthia Weil has died at the age of 82, with no cause of death currently announced.
During the days where New York’s Brill Building dominated pop songwriting, Weil and partner (both in music and in marriage) Barry Mann were among the creme of the crop, their most notable work of this time being “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers, the latter of which was written in collaboration with Phil Spector.
As the ‘60s progressed, Weil and Mann would see continued writing success with “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” by the Animals and “Make Your Own Kind Of Music” by Mama Cass, two iconic tracks that continue to pop up in media to this day (the latter most recently appeared in the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s film Barbie).
As if this wasn’t enough to cement Weil and Mann’s place in music history, the duo also wrote the Dolly Parton classic “Here You Come Again,” which topped Billboard Country charts and earned Parton a Grammy for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance.” On her own, Weil is also notable for writing Chaka Khan’s 1984 classic “Through the Fire” and Lionel Ritchie’s “Running With The Night” and “Love Will Conquer All.”
Most recently, Weil and Mann were given the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s Ahmet Ertegun Award in 2010 and the Songwriter Hall of Fame’s Johnny Mercer Award in 2011. Weil is survived by her husband and collaborator, Barry Mann, and her daughter Jenn Mann, a psychotherapist and frequent host of VH1 reality shows Couples Therapy and Family Therapy.
Leave a Comment