Soho Teen Releases I'M GLAD I DID by Cynthia Weil

Multi-Grammy-winning, Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame member Cynthia Weil is the writer of some of the most iconic songs of the 20th century-including "You've Lost That Loving Feeling," the most played song on the radio, ever. Her life as a pioneer of rock and roll, along with her friend Carole King, is currently the subject of the Tony-winning Broadway musical Beautiful (apropos, since another of Weil's hits is "On Broadway").

To write her debut novel, Weil channeled her years writing music at the epicenter of New York's music publishing scene, with her partner and long-time husband Barry Mann. The immersion in the pop culture, music, slang, fashion, and food of the summer of 1963-a pivotal year in U.S. history-couldn't be more complete.

I'M GLAD I DID captures perfectly the excitement, fear, confusion, and bravery of the fateful summer, with all the authority of someone who lived it.

Browse Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann's biggest hits

About the Book

JJ Green is a born songwriter-but her family considers the music business a cesspool of lowlifes and hustlers. They envision her as a lawyer, just like the rest of them. Defiant, she takes an internship at the Brill Building, the epicenter of a new sound called rock and roll.

JJ finds herself a writing partner in Luke Silver, a boy with mesmerizing green eyes, and they'll be cutting their first demo with Dulcie Brown, a blues legend who's fallen on hard times. JJ is convinced that she can shine again.

But Dulcie's past is a tangle of secrets, and when she seemingly commits suicide right after the best recording session of her life, JJ must navigate a web of hidden identities and shattered lives.

About the Author

Cynthia Weil is a member of the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame, as well as the multi-Grammy winning songwriter of classic songs like "On Broadway," "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" (the most performed song of the 20th century), and "Somewhere Out There," which was a double Grammy winner and Oscar nominee. She has lived in Southern California for many years with her husband and writing partner, Barry Mann. I'm Glad I Did is her first novel.

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