The music world has lost one of its most iconic hitmakers.
Legendary songwriter Billy Steinberg has died at age 75. His attorney, Laurie Soriano, confirmed that he passed away in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles following a battle with cancer.
“Billy was an American treasure, such a lovely pure soul who was able to give us the most poetic lyrics that moved millions of people all over the world,” Soriano said in a statement.
If you’ve ever belted out Like a Virgin, cried to True Colors, or slow-danced to Eternal Flame, you’ve felt Steinberg’s impact.
He was the creative force behind some of the biggest pop anthems of the 1980s and 1990s. Alongside longtime collaborator Tom Kelly, Steinberg co-wrote Madonna’s Like a Virgin, which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks between 1984 and 1985. The duo also penned Cyndi Lauper’s heartfelt ballad True Colors, Whitney Houston’s powerhouse hit So Emotional, and The Bangles’ Eternal Flame — all of which soared to No. 1.
Before topping charts worldwide, Steinberg got his start in the late 1970s with his new wave band Billy Thermal. After that chapter closed, he teamed up with Kelly to form i-Ten, launching one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the era.
Over the years, his lyrics were recorded by a staggering list of artists including Celine Dion, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Pat Benatar, Bette Midler, Carrie Underwood, Demi Lovato, JoJo, The Pretenders, and The Divinyls.
In 1997, Steinberg won a Grammy for his work on Celine Dion’s Falling Into You, which took home Album of the Year. In 2011, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame — a fitting honor for a man whose words defined generations of pop music.
Cyndi Lauper paid tribute to her friend on Instagram, calling him “such a nice guy and very supportive,” and sending her thoughts to his family and to Tom Kelly during the difficult time.
Steinberg is survived by his wife, Trina, and his sons, Ezra and Max.