Songwriter Billy Steinberg has died at the age of 75.
Steinberg passed away on Monday (February 16) in California after a long battle with cancer, his attorney Laurie Soriano confirmed, per Variety.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011 alongside his writing partner Tom Kelly, and is regarded as one of the most successful songwriters of the 80s and 90s.
Reflecting on his work, Steinberg’s family said, “his lyrics often began as deeply personal reflections, transformed into anthems in which millions found themselves,” per BBC News.
“Billy Steinberg’s life was a testament to the enduring power of a well-written song – and to the idea that honesty, when set to music, can outlive us all,” the family’s statement read.
His family noted that he received multiple industry accolades throughout his four-decade career, including a Grammy Award for his work on Celine Dion‘s 1996 album ‘Falling Into You’.
“Yet those closest to him knew that what mattered most was not recognition, but connection – the magic of hearing a crowd sing back something that once lived only in his notebook.”
With Kelly, Steinberg co-wrote some of the era’s most recognisable hits, including Madonna‘s ‘Like a Virgin’, Cyndia Lauper‘s ‘True Colors’, ‘Eternal Flame’ by The Bangles, ‘So Emotional’ by Whitney Houston, ‘I’ll Stand by You’ by the Pretenders and ‘I Drove All Night’ by Roy Orbison and Lauper.
Following Kelly’s retirement in the mid 90s, Steinberg continued working with other writing partners, achieving hits with the likes of ‘Give Your Heart a Break’, by Demi Lovato and ‘Too Little Too Late’ by JoJo.
His songs were also recorded by Pat Benatar, Tina Turner, Laura Branigan, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, Melanie C, Susanna Hoffs, Belinda Carlisle, Bette Midler, Taylor Dayne, Nicole Scherzinger, Katharine McFee, the Veronicas, T.A.T.U., the Corrs, Ashley Tisdale and many more.
Before he began writing for other artists, Steinberg first achieved fame as the singer-songwriter of the Californian rock band Billy Thermal, which was eventually signed to Richard Perry’s Planet label.
In 1981, he met Kelly, and they began their successful songwriting partnership, with Steinberg mostly contributing lyrics and Kelly, music.
“I never would just send him lyrics,” Steinberg explained of their working method in an interview with Songfacts. “I would always be with him when we would write the songs, and sometimes I would have some input into the chords and the melodies. But he would do the majority of those things. Over the 80s it just became clear to me that I was primarily a lyricist.”
In March 2025, Steinberg and his son – fellow songwriter Ezra Steinberg – each signed global publishing deals with Sony Music Publishing. “I’ve had a professional songwriting career for 45 years and it’s exciting for me to see that Ezra shares my passion as we embark on this new chapter,” he said in a statement at the time.
In a statement on his father’s passing, Ezra said: “As a father, he passed down not only his love of music, but his discipline, integrity, and reverence for great songwriting. He believed in building things that last — in art, in relationships, and in legacy,” per the Independent.
He is survived by his wife, Trina; his sons, Ezra and Max; his sisters, Barbara and Mary; and his stepchildren, Raul and Carolina.
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