We were on the red carpet for the 64th Annual BMI Pop Awards.
Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil received the Icon Award at the event. The SoCal VoCals, University of Southern California’s premier a capella group, paid homage to the prolific songwriting team with a musical tribute. The talented vocalists performed a medley of Mann and Weil’s most iconic songs including “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” “Just Once,” “You’re My Soul and Inspiration,” “On Broadway,” “Somewhere Out There,” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.”
Jules Joy: What does this huge honor mean to you?
Barry Mann: Well, it means I’m getting old. It really is … It’s kind of thrilling. How many songwriters do have songs that become standards? I’m very proud of that.
Jules Joy: Which song do you think best represents you, like, who you are as a person?
Barry Mann: We’ve written so many different kinds of songs. Songwriters say that songs are like children. It’s very hard to pick the best child, the one that you love most, but Cynthia, you do have a favorite, don’t you though?
Cynthia Weil: Actually, one of my favorites is a song called “Just Once”. Yeah, that James Ingram sang. The reason it’s my favorite is because I don’t think it was ever said before.
Jules Joy: What touches you the most about that song?
Cynthia Weil: Well, what I’m proudest of is the fact that it’s an original idea. Every other song is just saying the same thing in another way, but I don’t think anyone every said this.
Jules Joy contributed reporting.
