'Like a Virgin' songwriter Billy Steinberg dies at 74

‘Like a Virgin’ songwriter Billy Steinberg dies at 74

Legendary songwriter Billy Steinberg, whose lyrics helped define pop music in the 1980s and 1990s, has died at age 74. Steinberg died in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood, according to his attorney, Laurie Soriano, who confirmed the news and remembered him as both an artist and a person.

“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 adds. TMZ reported that Steinberg died following his battle with cancer.

Over the course of his career, Steinberg became one of the most influential hitmakers in modern pop history. He was the songwriter behind several iconic chart-topping tracks, including Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.” His work helped shape the sound of an era and left a lasting impact on generations of music fans.

Steinberg’s path into the music industry began in the late 1970s, when he formed a new wave band called Billy Thermal. The group recorded an album that was never released, and eventually broke up. Soon after, Steinberg teamed up with longtime creative partner Tom Kelly to form i-Ten, setting the stage for their breakthrough success.

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That success came in a major way when the pair wrote “Like a Virgin,” a dramatic pop anthem that became one of Madonna’s signature hits. The song spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart between 1984 and 1985. Steinberg and Kelly would go on to create even more chart dominance, co-writing Lauper’s “True Colors” and “Alone,” Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional,” and The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame.” All four tracks reached No. 1.

Steinberg’s songwriting credits also include work with major artists such as JoJo, Demi Lovato, Celine Dion, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Pat Benatar, Bette Midler, Carrie Underwood, The Pretenders, and The Divinyls.

In 1997, he won a Grammy for his work on Dion’s Falling Into You, which was named album of the year. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011. Cyndi Lauper also honored Steinberg in an Instagram post.

“I’m so sorry to hear that my friend Billy Steinberg has passed away,” she wrote. “He was such a nice guy and very supportive. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and Tom during this sad time.” Steinberg is survived by his wife, Trina, and his sons, Ezra and Max.