💔

Songwriter Behind Iconic Hits Dies After Cancer Battle

Billy Steinberg co-wrote hits like “Eternal Flame” and “Like A Virgin.”

Songwriter Billy Steinberg, widely regarded as one of the best songwriters of the ’80s and ’90s, died on Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 75. Alongside his songwriting partner Tom Kelly, Steinberg was responsible for hits such as Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper, “Alone” by Heart, and “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles. Following Kelly’s retirement in the ’90s, Steinberg continued to write, producing songs like “Too Little Too Late” by JoJo and “Give Your Heart a Break” by Demi Lovato. He and Kelly were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011. In a 2004 interview, he said of his partnership with Kelly, “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.” He is survived by his wife, Trina, his sons Ezra and Max, his sisters Barbara and Mary, and his stepchildren Raul and Carolina.