Cynthia Weil, ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ and ‘Here You Come Again’ Songwriter, Dead at 82

Legendary songwriter Cynthia Weil, known for numerous hits including 1964’s “You’ve Lost The Lovin’ Feeling” and Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again,” has died. Weil’s daughter, Dr. Jenn Mann, confirmed the songwriter passed away on Thursday evening at the age of 82. Weil’s cause of death was not provided.

Revealing her mother’s passing, Mann remembered her mother as her “best friend” and “partner in crime.” In a statement shared with TMZ, Mann said, “My mother, Cynthia Weil, was the greatest mother, grandmother and wife our family could ever ask for. She was my best friend, confidant, and my partner in crime and an idol and trailblazer for women in music.” Weil’s family added, “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.” 

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Weil’s husband and long-time writing partner, Barry Mann, shared in his own statement, “I’m a lucky man. I had two for one, my wife and one of the greatest songwriters in the world, my soul and inspiration.”

Considered to be one of the most prolific and successful songwriters of all time, Weil’s career spanned decades and included numerous hits, many of which she worked on alongside her husband. Together, the pair scored massive hits in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, including in 1964 with The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” which is one of the most-played songs of the 20th century, according to the performing rights organization BMI. Weil, along with Mann, is also behind Parton’s hit song “Here You Come Again,” which helped Parton launch her massive crossover success as an artist. Weil also Cass Elliot’s top 40 hit “Make Your Own Kind of Music,” which recently found new life on TikTok.

The husband-wife songwriting duo is responsible for numerous other hits, including Paul Revere & the Raiders’ “Kicks,” The Drifters’ and George Benson’s “On Broadway,” The Crystals’ “Uptown,” The Righteous Brothers’ “You’re My Soul and Inspiration,” and The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out of this Place.” The pair also wrote “Through the Fire,” sung by Chaka Khan and later sampled by Kanye West on his debut single, “Through the Wire.”

Weil and Mann received the first-ever National Academy of Songwriters Life Achievement Award and were also the first duo to receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. They were nominated for an Academy Award and won two Grammys for Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram’s “Somewhere Out There” from Steven Spielberg’s An American Tail. In total, Weil received 112 pop, country and R&B awards from BMI. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 along with her husband.