As a staff writer for Don Kirshner's Aldon Music, which was located in New York's famed Brill Building, Cynthia Weil co-authored some of the classic hits of the 1960s, including "On Broadway," "Uptown," and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." Primarily a lyricist, Weil was aided by husband and partner Barry Mann, who supplied much of the music. With her stories of social commentary and lyrical vignettes that pointed out the hypocrisy of America's class system, Weil is acknowledged as one of the groundbreaking writers who took rock lyrics beyond the moon-June tales of lost romance and puppy love. Weil continued to provide lyrics to accompany Mann's music, and the two provided hits to Dolly Parton, Mama Cass, James Ingram, Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, and many others. In addition to her continuing successful collaboration with Mann, she served as a supervisor on various album releases, and co-wrote other hits including Lionel Richie's "Running with the Night," Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," and Martina McBride's number one country hit "Wrong Again." In 1987, Weil and Mann were inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame and were awarded two Grammys, including Best Song for "Somewhere Out There." Cynthia Weil was 82 years old when she died on June 1, 2023. ~ Steve Kurutz