Hall of Fame songwriter Billy Steinberg who is known for penning hits such as Madonna’s Like A Virgin has passed away at the age of 75.
Steinberg died at his Brentwood residence on Monday following a battle with cancer, with the news of his death confirmed by his attorney Laurie Soriano to The Los Angeles Times.
His passing occurred just days before his 76th birthday which would have taken place on February 26.
Throughout the course of his career in the music industry and through his partnership with Tom Kelly – the pair created a number of additional hits such as True Colors by Cyndi Lauper and So Emotional by Whitney Houston.
Both Steinberg as well as Kelly had been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame back in 2011.
The late songwriter was born in 1950 and spent most of his early children in Fresno, California before later relocating to Palm Springs.
Hall of Fame songwriter Billy Steinberg who is known for penning hits such as Madonna’s Like A Virgin has passed away at the age of 75; seen in 2012 in L.A.
Steinberg died at his Brentwood residence on Monday following a battle with cancer, with the news of his death confirmed by his attorney Laurie Soriano to The Los Angeles Times; seen in 2011
Steinberg began his journey in music when he formed the group called Billy Thermal which had been signed to Planet Records.
One of their tracks How Do I Make You? was covered by Linda Ronstadt, which she also included on her 1980 album Mad Love.
That same year, singer Pat Benatar also dropped an album called Crimes Of Passion where she covered the group’s song I’m Gonna Follow You.
Steinberg’s collaboration with fellow songwriter Kelly began in 1981 and the pair ended up writing Like A Virgin, which would go on to be recorded by Madonna.
The song is found on her 1984 album of the same name and jumped to the number one spot on various charts including U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Steinberg previously reflected on his songwriting process to Songwriting Magazine and how the lyrics to Like A Virgin came to be to.
‘So at that time, I had a new girlfriend and I had recently extricated myself from a very difficult relationship,’ he recalled.
He added that the ‘title really came out’ from the lyrics such as ‘shiny and new.’
Steinberg’s collaboration with fellow songwriter Kelly began in 1981 and the pair ended up writing Like A Virgin, which would go on to be recorded by Madonna
Steinberg previously reflected on his songwriting process to Songwriting Magazine and how the lyrics to Like A Virgin came to be to; seen in 2008 in L.A.
Steinberg continued, ‘Shiny and new, like a virgin, I don’t know, it just popped out. So I also thought as soon as I wrote that, “Wow, this is a cool song lyric.”‘
He also shared that he ‘always wrote my song lyrics in a sort of a stream of consciousness.
‘I know some people search for titles in newspaper articles or they start a song with the title, I’m not really that way.’
The late songwriter added, ‘I just get out my pen and my pad of paper and I just start writing. Sometimes it comes out like a poem and sometimes it comes out like a song…’
Both Steinberg and Kelly would go on to work on other songs together such as True Colors (1986) by Cyndi Lauper.
The songstress would go on to record other tracks from the duo including I Drove All Night and Unconditional Love.
‘I’m so sorry to hear of Billy Steinberg’s passing. He was a great lyricist and a wonderful collaborator,’ she said in a statement to Billboard shortly after the news of his death.
‘He and Tom had such a way of capturing the range within an emotion, from the subtlety to urgency.’
The late songwriter added, ‘I just get out my pen and my pad of paper and I just start writing. Sometimes it comes out like a poem and sometimes it comes out like a song…’; seen in 2011
Both Steinberg and Kelly would go on to work on other songs together such as True Colors (1986) by Cyndi Lauper; Lauper seen above in 1986 in Hawaii
Lauper reflected on the songs the pair wrote and said that she is ‘wowed.’
‘I mean, come on, “I’m like a letter with no address.” Pure genius. For True Colors, there was a lot of back and forth which I know was hard for him.’
The singer added, ‘In the end, he said that I had really invented my own “very exquisitely beautiful version” of the song. That really meant a lot to me. It is a special song.’
