Dolly Parton left heartbroken after tragic loss as she reveals she's 'eternally grateful' in moving
Legendary songwriter Cynthia Weil passed away on Thursday, June 1, at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of hits such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "On Broadway," "We Gotta Get out of This Place," and many more.
One such tune was "Here You Come Again," a 1977 country pop track by Dolly Parton that garnered her significant mainstream appeal by becoming her first big crossover hit.
The singer took to social media on Saturday to share some words in tribute to Cynthia after her passing, praising her lifelong work while expressing her gratitude.
"I was so sad to hear that Cynthia Weil had passed," she wrote in her statement. "She was one of the greatest writers of all time and I owe her such a debt of gratitude because she and her partner, Barry Mann, wrote my first million selling song 'Here You Come Again'."
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The track was originally composed in 1975 by Cynthia and her longtime songwriting partner and husband Barry Mann and was intended as a comeback for Brenda Lee, although once she passed on the track, it was given to Dolly.
At the time, while the singer, now 77, was already a prominent name in the country music scene, thanks to hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," she'd yet to break into the mainstream market in a significant way.
After working with her producers to make the song less pop and more of a fusion of genres, the song became her biggest hit at the time, hitting number one on the American country charts for over a month and reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.
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It even won Dolly her first ever Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female in 1978, with the parent album of the same name also becoming a hit as a result.
Her tribute continued: "So, I have always been grateful and will be eternally grateful to her. I'm sure she'll be missed by all the ones that love her and always be appreciated for all of the wonderful music she left behind."
"Here You Come Again" remains to this day one of Dolly's three lone top ten hits on the mainstream Stateside music charts, alongside the number ones "9 To 5" and the Kenny Rogers collab "Islands in the Stream."
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The songwriter's death was confirmed by her daughter Jenn Mann to TMZ on Friday, who stated: "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."
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."
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