Billy Steinberg, the Grammy-winning songwriter behind some of pop music’s most enduring hits, including Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” has died in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer, his lawyer confirmed Tuesday. He was 75.
Steinberg’s family described him as a “visionary lyricist, devoted husband, loving father, and one of the most influential songwriters of his era,” adding that “his lyrics often began as deeply personal reflections, transformed into anthems in which millions found themselves.”
Working most notably with composer Tom Kelly, Steinberg crafted a string of chart-topping songs that defined the sound of the 1980s and 90s. Among his successes were Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional,” The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame,” and Heart’s “Alone.” Five of his co-written songs reached the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
“I’m so sorry to hear that my friend Billy Steinberg has passed away,” Lauper wrote on Instagram. “He was such a nice guy and particularly supportive. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and Tom during this sad time.”
Steinberg’s breakthrough came in 1984 with “Like a Virgin,” a song that catapulted Madonna to superstardom. He recalled in an interview that the initial lyrics came to him while driving through his father’s Southern California vineyard. “At that time I was very happy to be involved in a new relationship with a woman I had met and I was relieved to have extricated myself from a very demanding relationship and I think that inspired the lyrics,” Steinberg said. He added that he immediately recognized the potential of the phrase “Like a virgin” as a lyrical hook.
The song wasn’t an immediate success with record labels. Steinberg told Songwriters Universe that “Everyone looked at us like we were nuts,” and that some even suggested changing the title. However, Michael Ostin, an A&R representative at Warner Records, championed the song for Madonna, recognizing its potential. Steinberg even envisioned Madonna performing the song in a wedding dress, a concept that ultimately became iconic.
The success of “Like a Virgin” launched a prolific period for Steinberg and Kelly. They followed it with hits for a diverse range of artists, including the Divinyls (“I Touch Myself”), the Pretenders (“I’ll Stand By You”), and Tina Turner (“Glance Me in the Heart”). Their song “I Drove All Night” had a complex journey, initially written for Roy Orbison before becoming a Top 10 hit for Lauper in 1989. Orbison later recorded his own version, and Celine Dion released a successful rendition in 2003.
After Kelly retired in the 1990s, Steinberg continued to write and collaborate with other songwriters. He co-wrote songs with Rick Nowels, including Melanie C’s “I Turn To You” and Dion’s “Falling Into You,” which earned Steinberg his only Grammy Award in 1997 when Dion’s album of the same name won Album of the Year. He later partnered with producer Josh Alexander, co-writing hits for artists like Jojo (“Too Little Too Late”), the Veronicas (“When It All Falls Apart”), t.A.T.u. (“All About Us”), and Demi Lovato (“Give Your Heart a Break”).
Before his success as a songwriter, Steinberg fronted a new wave band called Billy Thermal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band recorded an album that was never released, but a demo of their song “How Do I Make You” caught the attention of Linda Ronstadt, who recorded it in 1980, achieving a Top 10 hit. Steinberg and Kelly later formed the band i-Ten, releasing an album in 1983 that included an early version of “Alone,” which Heart would later transform into a hit song.
Steinberg was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.
