Cynthia Weil’s Husband Barry Mann Shares Her Jewish Heritage They Worked Together

Hailed as one of the greatest songwriters of his time, Barry Mann shared that glory as only one half of a legendary songwriting duo. He and his wife, Cynthia Weil, co-authored numerous musical hits for decades. Sadly, their love story ended in June 2023.

Although Cynthia Weil, born in 1940, had trained in acting, singing, and dancing, her songwriting prowess catapulted her to stardom. She and her husband, Barry Mann, married in 1961, and the two dominated the ’60s music scene.

Among their most notable hits of the decade were “On Broadway” by George Benson, “Uptown” by The Crystals, and “We Gotta Get Outta This Place.” As the decades passed, Cynthia Weil dished more groundbreaking lyricism that went beyond personal experiences.

Others, among numerous more, included Linda Ronstadt, James Ingram, and Martina McBride. Cynthia received her flowers while she still lived, alongside her husband and partner, with over 100 awards for pop, country, and RnB genres in her name.

She passed away in June 2023, as confirmed by her daughter, Dr Jenn Mann. After Cynthia’s death, Barry said, “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.”

Barry, of Jewish descent, was born in 1939 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a Jewish neighborhood and learned to play piano from a young age, but he was also drawn to rock music.

After graduating high school, he enrolled at an architecture school but soon dropped out to pursue music. Like Cynthia, he was a singer but also a composer. He co-wrote a song for the Diamonds, and after its success, he met musical publisher Don Kirshner at Aldon Music.

A remarkable career ensued afterward. In the 2010s, he pursued writing for soundtracks and the stage in collaboration with his wife while establishing a flourishing photography career.

Cynthia was raised by a conservative Jewish family on the Upper West Side in New York. She and Barry met at Aldon Music, the birthplace of their partnership. They competed with another songwriting couple, Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

“I always thought of Carole and Gerry and Cynthia and myself as the bridge between old Tin Pan Alley and rock ‘n’ roll. But I don’t want people to think that’s where we remain,” Barry once said of their good-spirited rivalry.

When they started dishing out hits in the ’60s, Cynthia and Barry weren’t captivated by the fame. The couple was so focused on working on “the next thing” that they later realized they were part of a “golden era.”

They only had one daughter, Jenn, who became a psychotherapist, a writer like her parents, and the host of “Couple’s Therapy” on VH1. In the 2010s, Cynthia’s career focused on writing lyrics for children’s books.

While reflecting on the decades-long partnership, the couple remarked that what it work was that as much as they collaborated, they still worked independently of each other with other writers.

A sliver of their story was shown in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” in 2014. Barry was portrayed by Jerrod Spector, and Cynthia by Anika Larson. Jerrod earned a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Barry in “Beautiful.”

The musical follows a Jewish girl, Carole King, played by actress Jessie Mueller, from Brooklyn, who grows up to be an impeccable songwriter and performer. However, the story is more central to Carole’s relationship with her now ex-husband, Gerry Goffin, played by Jake Epstein.