Cynthia Weil, a legendary songwriter, passed away on June 1 at the age of 82. She is remembered for her work on numerous popular songs, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “On Broadway,” “We Gotta Get out of This Place,” and many others.
One such song was Dolly Parton’s 1977 country-pop single “Here You Come Again,” which helped her attain major mainstream appeal by serving as her first large crossover smash.
The singer paid tribute to Cynthia on social media on Saturday after learning of her loss, complimenting her lifetime of work and expressing her thanks.
She said in her statement, “I was really heartbroken to hear that Cynthia Weil had died away. She was one of history’s finest authors, and I am always grateful to her and her collaborator Barry Mann for writing my first song to sell one million copies, ‘Here You Come Again.’”
Brenda Lee’s comeback was the initial intention of the song, which was written in 1975 by Cynthia and her husband and longtime songwriting collaborator Barry Mann. However, after Brenda Lee passed away, Dolly received the song instead.
Due to successes like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” the singer, now 77, was already well-known in the country music community at the time, but she hadn’t yet made a huge impact on the public market.
Her biggest hit at the time, the song spent more than a month at the top of the American country charts and made it to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 after she and her producers worked to make it less pop-oriented and more of a genre fusion.
It even earned Dolly her first-ever Grammy Award in 1978 for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, and as a result, the album’s parent, with the same name, became a success.
“So, I have always been grateful and will always be grateful to her,” she concluded in her eulogy. She will undoubtedly be missed by everyone she loves, and her incredible musical legacy will never be forgotten.”
Along with the number-one singles “9 To 5” and the Kenny Rogers collaboration “Islands in the Stream,” “Here You Come Again” is still one of Dolly’s three and only top ten hits on the mainstream American music charts.
Her daughter Jenn Mann told TMZ on Friday that her mother, Cynthia Weil, was the best mother, grandma, and wife that her family could have ever hoped for. She was my closest confidante, my crime-fighting companion, my idol, and a pioneer for women in music.
Her social media page reads: “Cynthia Weil’s Grammy award-winning lyrics touched the hearts and souls of hundreds of millions of people around the world, making her one of the most iconic songwriters of the 20th century.
“Cynthia is survived by the love of her life Barry Mann, her husband, soulmate, and co-writer, her loving daughter Dr. Jenn Mann and her fiancé Eric Schiffer; and granddaughters Quin and Mendez.”