In Memoriam: Billy Steinberg, Co-Writer of “True Colors,” “Like a Virgin” and “Eternal Flame”

ASCAP mourns the loss of Billy Steinberg, the Grammy-winning lyricist of pop classics like “True Colors” (Cyndi Lauper), “Like a Virgin” (Madonna), “Eternal Flame” (Bangles), “So Emotional” (Whitney Houston) and “Alone” (Heart) – all of which hit #1 on the Hot 100. Steinberg was 75.

“Billy Steinberg was one of the great wordsmiths of our time,” said ASCAP President & Chairman of the Board Paul Williams. “He had a gift for translating the language of the heart into lyrics that were both insightful and universal – it’s no wonder so many of his songs have become anthems. We all miss him greatly, but we’re fortunate he’s left such an incredible musical legacy.”

A native of Fresno, California, Steinberg started his music career as an artist with the band Billy Thermal. But when Linda Ronstadt had a top 10 hit in 1980 with the band’s song “How Do I Make You” – written solely by Steinberg – he shifted his focus to songwriting, and quickly won the attention of some of the biggest artists of the 1980s. 

Together with his songwriting partner Tom Kelly, Steinberg created some of the most indelible hits of the ‘80s and early ‘90s. They were responsible for signature songs like Divinyls’ “I Touch Myself” and The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You,” in addition to their string of #1s. After Kelly retired from the music business, Steinberg continued to write with other collaborators and notched successes with Celine Dion (“Falling into You”), JoJo (“Too Little Too Late”), Katharine McPhee (“Over It”) and Demi Lovato (“Give Your Heart a Break”).

Notably, all of Steinberg’s top 40 hits were recorded by women artists, a testament to his emotionally astute lyrics. As Cyndi Lauper told Billboard, “He and Tom had such a way of capturing the range within an emotion, from the subtlety to urgency…He was a great lyricist and a wonderful collaborator.”

Steinberg won an Album of the Year GRAMMY in 1997 for his involvement in Dion’s Falling into You album, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011. 

All of us at ASCAP will remember Steinberg for his advocacy and mentorship for the songwriting community. He met with members of Congress to fight for your rights during our “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Month in 2021, and took part in four editions of the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO – including the very first one in 2006. He was a guest at the ASCAP Lester Sill Songwriters Workshop, and a performer on our “Quiet on the Set” showcase at the Hotel Cafe in 2006.

We’ll miss Billy Steinberg’s artistry, his intelligence, and his commitment to uplifting his fellow songwriters. Thank you for the music, Billy.