Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    I'm Glad I Did
    I'm Glad I Did
    I'm Glad I Did
    Audiobook7 hours

    I'm Glad I Did

    Written by Cynthia Weil

    Narrated by Rachel Botchan

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    "Mad Men "meets "Nashville" in this debut mystery set in 1963, written by Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Cynthia Weil. It's the summer of 1963 and JJ Green is a born songwriter--which is a major problem, considering that her family considers the music business a cesspool of lowlifes and hustlers. Defying them, she takes an internship at the Brill Building, the epicenter of a new sound called rock and roll. JJ is finally living her dream. She even finds herself a writing partner in Luke Silver, a boy with mesmerizing green eyes who seems to connect instantly with her music. Best of all, they'll be cutting their first demo with Dulcie Brown, a legend who's fallen on hard times. Though Dulcie is now a custodian in the Brill Building, JJ is convinced that she can shine again. But Dulcie's past is a tangle of secrets, and when events take a dark turn, JJ must navigate a web of hidden identities and shattered lives--before it snares her, too. 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 Lovin' 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 27, 2015
    ISBN9781490662503
    I'm Glad I Did

    Related to I'm Glad I Did

    Related audiobooks

    Children's Historical For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Ten Essential Music Biographies

      Oct 24, 2019

      Biographer Holly George-Warren pulls from her vast knowledge of music biographies and gives us ten of her favorites to check out. The post Ten Essential Music Biographies appeared first on The Millions.

      4 min read

    • Article

      On Imitation

      Feb 15, 2018

      The first time I stole, I was told it was wrong. It was borrowed from a Garfield cartoon—one character says, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” and then in the next panel, a dictionary falls on his head. I thought i

      6 min read

    • Article

      Time Has Told

      May 11, 2023

      Time Has Told
      3 min read

    • Article

      When Your Dad Gets Locked Up—And Then Deported

      May 11, 2018

      I crossed the border from Mexico with my parents when I was 6 years old. I remember walking for a day and a half and wading through a river. I remember sitting on my dad’s shoulders, feeling his skin peeling and blistering. In Mexico, we had worked

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Woman Walks Into A Bar…

      Mar 17, 2019

      A Woman Walks Into A Bar…
      5 min read

    • Article

      Andrew Ridgeley

      Jun 26, 2023

      Andrew Ridgeley
      6 min read

    • Article

      Fame Game

      Aug 24, 2020

      Fame Game
      3 min read

    • Article

      Dion Is Still King

      Jun 29, 2020

      Dion Is Still King
      12 min read

    • Article

      Netflix

      Jun 30, 2021

      ELVIS PRESLEY: THE SEARCHER You might think this Elvis documentary would be biased. It was devised by his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, and his great friend, Jerry Schilling, cleverest of the Memphis Mafia. Instead, it’s a two-part, 215-minute, objecti

      2 min read

    • Article

      All Adds Up

      Oct 7, 2021

      When The Addams Family first aired its morbid comedy, in 1964, it did so in an era of lowbrow television sitcoms that lacked much character substance or development. The Addams Family and its lovable yet macabre band of misfits changed that, doing so

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Richest Girl In The World

      Aug 12, 2020

      The Richest Girl In The World
      10 min read

    • Article

      Hatching The Impossible

      May 17, 2021

      Hatching The Impossible
      13 min read

    • Article

      Badfinger At 50

      Sep 8, 2020

      Badfinger At 50
      10 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for I'm Glad I Did

    3.5/5

    20 ratings5 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      I picked this one up because of the cute 1960s vibe, and that's really all it had going for it... at least for me, a twenty-something bibliophile who's read an unhealthy amount of YA fiction. I can see the appeal for someone closer to the protagonist's 16, but the plot and dialogue were just too implausible for me to get hooked.
    • 3/5
      If the writer of such hit songs as Walking in the Rain sung by the Ronettes or On Broadway sung by the Drifters was to write a book, I’m Glad I Did would be the book. She did and this is the book.Taking place in the mid-1960s, I’m Glad I Did is a combination of historical fiction, romance and mystery. Named Justice because her parents are lawyers and their children were expected to follow suit, JJ Green wants to break ranks and become a song writer. Having just graduated high school at age 16, she gets a summer internship in the famous song writing emporium, the Brill Building (home to Neil Diamond, Carole King and more). The catch is, because she is under age, she needs her parents’ consent. Unhappy with this turn of events, they strike a deal. If JJ doesn’t get a song published during her 3 month internship, she’ll give up her song writing dream. The Green family has had experience in the industry: her mother’s estranged brother, the noted Bernie Green, is a song publisher and producer (in the era of payola).ImGladIDidThree things happen in the book:1.JJ strikes up a relationship with Bernie–to her mother’s chagrin.2.JJ meets Luke, the son of Bernie’s former partner–of course, the love interest.3.JJ meets Dulcie Brown, a former famous singer whose short lived career ended in drug abuse–the mystery.Weil sprinkles the book with the names of famous singers and songs of the era. (As you read, you can hear Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, the Shirelles and the Crystals playing in your head.) She mentions the payola scandals of the times, the space shots, Martin Luther King and the March on Washington. She points out segregation. In essence, she hits all the right notes (pun intended).I’m Glad I Did is an upbeat, light-hearted romp through the 60s. For those of us old enough to remember the 1960s, it brings back memories. (For me, it was lying in bed, late at night, listening to the radio very low because my parents weren’t Rock ‘n Roll fans and hearing the house painters blasting the radio and hearing Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison–that was a treat.)Of course, there’s a book quote from Carole King, the singer/song writer, praising the book, but I’d expect nothing less.If you’re in the mood to go back in time, try I’m Glad I Did.P.S. If you’re interested, Cynthia Weil also wrote We Gotta Get Out of This Place (the Animals), You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (the Righteous Brothers), Only in America (Jay and the Americans), Kicks (Paul Revere and the Raiders) and Just a Little Lovin’ Early in the Morning (Dusty Springfield).
    • 3/5
      JJ Greene, a 16-year-old songwriter, gets a job at the infamous Brill Building. JJ finds out that the music industry is worse than anything her parents told her, as she is now caught up in hidden identities, theft, and even murder.
    • 4/5
      Set in the pre-hippie summer of 1963 when Kennedy was president, the Civil Rights movement was in full swing, and the Beatles had not yet made it to America, I’m Glad I Did is an uptempo coming of age story complete with an entertaining slice of history that doesn’t avoid the serious issues of the day. Teenage JJ Green is determined to become a Carole King-like songwriter by getting a job at the famous Brill Building, but her father and Jackie Kennedy look-alike mother want her to follow in their footsteps and become a lawyer instead. When JJ is offered a position as a music producer’s assistant, with payment being feedback on her songs, JJ’s parents reluctantly agree to a trial, but she will only be allowed to continue in the music field if one of the songs she’s written is recorded by the end of the summer. (No pressure!) Race relations, the early 60’s music scene, the payola scandal, murder and--of course--teenage romance all play a part in the story. This is Cynthia Weil’s first novel, but she’s been writing songs long enough for Bob Dylan to consider her a master in the field. (Dylan mentioned her in his memoir Chronicles, and songs co-written by Weil with her husband Barry Mann include “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, “Blame it on the Bossa Nova”, “Somewhere Out There”, and “We Got to Get Out of This Place” among many others.) While the tone is lively and humorous, one of the predominant themes is justice--which when capitalized as Justice is actually JJ’s first name. (Did I mention her parents are lawyers?). Weil’s real life experiences and inside knowledge give her story the ring of authenticity. A fun time trip.
    • 4/5
      Growing up in a family of lawyers, Justice (known as J.J.) Green has long wished to be a songwriter, not a lawyer. After finding a summer job as directed, J.J. cuts a deal with her mom--if one of the songs she writes over the summer is picked up at Good Music (a record company), she will be able to study as she pleases, instead of heading toward a law career in the fall. The book took off in a direction I didn't expect. J.J.'s new world at the Brill Building brings a lot of secrets, revelations and a mystery to solve as the summer moves forward. I thought it would be more of an historical coming of age story. The historical touches about the summer of '63 seemed like an aside, added in for reference. J.J. is a great character, and she really kept this book going at a good pace, whether standing up to her parents, discovering a boyfriend or even a bit of Holmes/Watson like sleuthing. Some of the side stories got a little long or coincidental, but I liked it overall.