Cynthia Weil
Cynthia Weil | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, U.S. | October 18, 1940
Died | June 1, 2023 | (aged 82)
Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College |
Occupation | Songwriter |
Spouse | |
Children | Jenn Mann |
Cynthia Weil (October 18, 1940 – June 1, 2023) was an American songwriter who wrote many songs together with her husband
Weil and her husband, both based at the Brill Building, were instrumental in shaping the sound of rock and roll in the 1960s, alongside other luminaries such as Carole King, Burt Bacharach, and Neil Diamond.[2]
Life and career
Weil was born in New York City on October 18, 1940. She grew up on the
Weil and her husband went on to create songs for many contemporary artists, winning several
In 1987, she was inducted with her husband into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1988, Weil won two awards at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards for co-writing "Somewhere Out There" from the animated film An American Tail: Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media.[7]
In 2004, Mann and Weil's They Wrote That? a musical revue based on their songs, opened in New York. In it, Mann sang and Weil related stories about the songs and their personal history.
In 2015, Weil published her first novel, I'm Glad I Did, a mystery set in 1963.[11]
Weil was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023.[12]
Weil died at home in Beverly Hills, California, on June 1, 2023, at age 82.[2][3][13]
Songs written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
- "A World of Our Own" – Closing theme song from the 1991 film Return to the Blue Lagoon – Surface
- "Absolutely Green" – Dom DeLuise (co-written with Mann for the 1994 animated film A Troll in Central Park).
- "Beyond the Last Island" – Adam Ryen (co-written with James Horner for the animated film Ten Apples Up on Top!).
- "Black Butterfly" – Deniece Williams
- "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" – Eydie Gormé
- "Bless You" – Tony Orlando
- "Christmas Vacation" – Title song for the 1989 film of the same name
- "Don't Know Much" – Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt (also, earlier, Bill Medley and Bette Midler)
- "He's Sure the Boy I Love" – The Crystals
- "Heart" – Kenny Chandler
- "Here You Come Again" – Dolly Parton
- "Home of the Brave" – Bonnie and the Treasures, Jody Miller (also exists in an acetate demo by The Ronettes)
- "How Can I Tell Her It's Over" – Andy Williams
- "Hungry" – Paul Revere & the Raiders
- "I Just Can't Help Believing" – B. J. Thomas, Elvis Presley
- "I'm Gonna Be Strong" – Gene Pitney; covered by Cyndi Lauper
- "I Will Come to You" – Hanson
- "It's Not Easy" – Normie Rowe, The Will-O-Bees
- "Just a Little Lovin' (Early in the Morning)" – Dusty Springfield, Carmen McRae, Barbra Streisand, Billy Eckstine, Bobby Vinton
- "Just Once" – James Ingram with Quincy Jones
- "Kicks" – Paul Revere & the Raiders
- "Late at Night" – George Benson and Vicki Randle
- "Let Me In" (Rick Derringer/Weil) – Rick Derringer
- "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" – Gene Pitney, Marlena Shaw, The Partridge Family
- "Love Doesn't Ask Why" – co-written with Phil Galdston. Recorded by Celine Dion.
- "Love Her" – The Everly Bros, The Walker Bros.
- "Love is Only Sleeping" – The Monkees
- "Magic Town" – The Vogues
- "Make Your Own Kind of Music" – "Mama" Cass Elliot
- "Never Gonna Let You Go" – Sérgio Mendes and Dionne Warwick
- "Nobody But You" – Gladys Knight and Ruby Turner
- "None of Us Are Free" (Mann, Weil, Brenda Russell) – Ray Charles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Solomon Burke
- "On Broadway" – The Drifters, Eric Carmen, and later George Benson, Neil Young, Gary Numan
- "Only in America" – Jay and the Americans
- "Remember" – Song from the 2004 film Troy – Covered by Josh Groban
- "Running with the Night" (Lionel Richie, Weil) – Richie
- "Saturday Night at the Movies" (The Drifters)
- "Shades of Gray" – The Monkees
- "Shape of Things to Come" – Max Frost and the Troopers
- "Grammy Awardwinner.
- "Sweet Survivor" – Peter, Paul, and Mary– written with Peter Yarrow; from the LP "Reunion", 1978.
- "Uptown" – The Crystals, covered by Bette Midler
- "Walking in the Rain" – The Ronettes,[6] Jay and the Americans
- "We Gotta Get out of This Place" – The Animals and covered by The Angels
- "Star Club, Hamburg, Germany;[16]
- "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" – The Righteous Brothers and later Donny & Marie Osmond
- "Daryl Hall & John Oates, and a Roberta Flack-Donny Hathaway duet. As of 2010[update], the Righteous Brothers' rendition was radio's most-played song of all time, with 14 million airplays to date.[6]
Bibliography
- Weil, Cynthia (2015). I'm Glad I Did. Soho Press. ISBN 978-1-61695-357-7.
- Weil, Cynthia (2018). 806: A Novel. Tanglewood. ISBN 978-1-939100-26-9.
References
- ^ "Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ a b c Blistein, Jon (June 2, 2023). "Cynthia Weil, Storied Songwriter With Decades of Hits, Dead at 82". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ a b c Williams, Alex (June 4, 2023). "Cynthia Weil, Whose Soaring Lyrics Made Baby Boomers Feel, Dies at 82". The New York Times. p. A20. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Benarde, Scott (2003). Stars of David: Rock'n'roll's Jewish stories. Hanover, NH: Brandeis University Press. p. 49.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (December 15, 2011). "Jewish Stars 12/16". Cleveland Jewish News.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mann & Weil", Inductees (biography), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, archived from the original on July 27, 2018, retrieved March 16, 2010
- ^ "Cynthia Weil awards and nominations". The Grammys. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ "Congratulations to the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees!". Archived from the original on December 23, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
- ^ Jon Pareles (March 16, 2010) [March 15, 2010], "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducts New Members", The New York Times, NY, p. A16, retrieved March 16, 2010
- ^ "Garth Brooks, Billy Joel perform together during Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony". Sound spike. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ISBN 9781616953560.
- ^ "3RD Annual Women Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards Celebrates Icons - Jan Daley Angela Bofill Ann Hampton Callaway". Ein Presswire. April 18, 2023.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 2, 2023). "Cynthia Weil Dies: 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin',' 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place' & 'On Broadway' Co-Writer Was 82". Deadline. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ Songs written by Barry Mann, MusicVF.com. Retrieved August 27, 2014
- ^ Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil Discography. Retrieved August 27, 2014
- ^ Beatles Lyric Archived July 30, 2012, at archive.today, Jiri Wagner 1999 – 2010 at boskowan.com. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
External links
- Cynthia Weil biography at Allmusicwebsite
- Cynthia Weil discography at Discogs
- Cynthia Weil at IMDb