Billy Steinberg, the acclaimed lyricist behind some of the biggest pop hits of the 1980s and ’90s and a longtime member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, has died at 75. He passed away Monday in California following a lengthy battle with cancer, his attorney Laurie Soriano confirmed to Variety.
Steinberg first rose to prominence through his prolific partnership with Tom Kelly. In their collaboration, Steinberg primarily crafted the lyrics while Kelly composed the music. Together, they created a string of instantly recognizable hits, including “Like a Virgin” for Madonna, “True Colors” for Cyndi Lauper, “Eternal Flame” for The Bangles, “Alone” for Heart, “So Emotional” for Whitney Houston, “I Touch Myself” for Divinyls, “I’ll Stand by You” for The Pretenders, “How Do I Make You” for Linda Ronstadt and “I Drove All Night,” recorded by Roy Orbison and later Lauper.
After Kelly stepped away from songwriting in the mid-’90s, Steinberg continued scoring major successes with new collaborators. Among them were “Falling Into You” for Celine Dion, “Give Your Heart a Break” for Demi Lovato and “Too Little Too Late” for JoJo. His catalog was also recorded by artists ranging from Tina Turner and Pat Benatar to Cheap Trick and many others.
Steinberg and Kelly were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.
Before dominating the pop charts, Steinberg fronted the Los Angeles new wave band Billy Thermal, signed to Richard Perry’s Planet label. One of the group’s tracks, “How Do I Make You,” was later covered by Ronstadt and became a Top 10 hit in 1980.
A pivotal moment came in 1981 when Steinberg met Kelly at a party hosted by producer Keith Olsen. The two quickly established a clear creative division: Steinberg focused on lyrics, Kelly on melody and arrangement. Unlike many songwriting teams, their biggest hits typically began with fully formed lyrics. Steinberg would present a finished lyric — such as “Like a Virgin,” “True Colors” or “Eternal Flame” — and Kelly would build the music around it.
Steinberg took particular pride in crafting bold, striking titles that became cultural touchstones. He once noted that phrases like “Like a Virgin,” “I Touch Myself” and “I Drove All Night” had an edge that made them unforgettable.
“Like a Virgin” initially faced resistance from record executives who found the title too provocative. Eventually, it reached Madonna, who recorded it with producer Nile Rodgers. The song became the duo’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and kicked off a remarkable five-year run that produced five chart-toppers.
Their experience differed with Lauper’s “True Colors,” where Steinberg later praised her for reinterpreting the song rather than following their demo. Similarly, Houston’s “So Emotional,” written at the request of music executive Clive Davis, evolved dramatically from its original demo into a powerhouse pop anthem.
“Eternal Flame,” inspired partly by an everlasting light in a synagogue Steinberg attended as a child, became another enduring classic. And while “I Touch Myself” courted controversy for its blunt chorus, Steinberg emphasized the poetic vulnerability embedded in its verses.
Not every hit came easily. “Alone,” later a No. 1 for Heart, began as a track recorded by Steinberg and Kelly in a short-lived duo called i-Ten. A small lyrical tweak to the chorus ultimately unlocked the song’s full potential.
Throughout his career, Steinberg favored intimate collaborations over large writing teams and expressed concern that modern pop sometimes prioritized production over songwriting craft. He believed that strong songs — built on melody and lyric — were the foundation of lasting hits.
In March of last year, Steinberg and his son Ezra signed global publishing deals with Sony Music Publishing, expanding a partnership that began in 1992. Their catalogs were set to be housed together under Steinberg Music.
He is survived by his wife, Trina; sons Ezra and Max; sisters Barbara and Mary; and stepchildren Raul and Carolina.
