An interesting slice of life series of articles at the Songfacts webpage focuses on the changes to their lives that writers of famous songs have experienced.
In most cases these are not the people who sang the songs that became hits.
Some of the names are familiar, lots aren’t.
But each story demonstrates that one world-wide hit makes a difference in a song-writer’s life.
One example is Julie Gold, who wrote the song From A Distance while struggling to make ends meet in a job as a secretary.
When Bette Midler recorded it, Gold never had to work as a secretary again.
They’re Playing My Song at Songfacts.