Born 86 Years Ago Today in the Big Apple, the Songwriting Legend Who Penned One of Dolly Parton’s First Crossover Hits Alongside Her Husband

Cynthia Weil, born in New York City on 18 October 1940, became one of the most influential songwriters of the rock and pop era. With her husband Barry Mann, she wrote “Here You Come Again”, the 1977 country hit that helped establish Dolly Parton’s crossover appeal, as well as songs that shaped the 1960s charts.

Weil and Mann met in 1960, married the following year and went on to write hits including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”. They won two Grammy Awards in 1988, including Song of the Year for “Somewhere Out There”, and received major songwriting and music hall of fame honours. Weil died in 2023, aged 82; 18 October 2026 would have been her 86th birthday.