Grammy-winning US songwriter Billy Steinberg, a key figure behind several chart-topping hits including Madonna’s Like a Virgin, has died aged 75.
Steinberg’s family described him as a “visionary lyricist, devoted husband, loving father, and one of the most influential songwriters of his era”.
His songs were performed by Whitney Houston, Roy Orbison, Celine Dion, Demi Lovato, and The Bangles.
Steinberg’s lawyer confirmed to the BBC he had died in Los Angeles following a cancer diagnosis.
Reflecting on his work, Steinberg’s family said “his lyrics often began as deeply personal reflections, transformed into anthems in which millions found themselves”.
“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.”
Born William Steinberg, the Californian songwriter began collaborating with vocalist and songwriter Tom Kelly in the early 1980s.
The duo that went on to contribute to several chart-topping singles and lead a short-lived rock band called i-Ten.
Steinberg and Kelly’s breakthrough occurred with Madonna’s Like a Virgin in 1984, which reached number one in the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the titular track of her second album.
The pair also worked together on other successful hits including Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors (1986), Whitney Houston’s So Emotional (1987) and I Touch Myself by the Divinyls (1990).
Steinberg went on to co-write songs in the early 2000s, such as JoJo’s Too Little Too Late and Demi Lovato’s Give Your Heart a Break.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame, into which Steinberg was inducted in 2011, describes him as one of the “most successful songwriters”, whose songs have turned into “enduring classics”.
Steinberg is survived by his wife Trina, two sons and two stepchildren.
