Cyndi Lauper has led tributes to acclaimed songwriter Billy Steinberg, who has died aged 75.
A representative for Steinberg’s family confirmed he passed away at his home in Brentwood, California, following a battle with cancer. News of his death has prompted an outpouring of affection for the writer behind some of the most defining pop songs of the last four decades.
Lauper, who shared a close creative bond with Steinberg, posted a heartfelt message alongside a throwback photo of the pair. Steinberg co-wrote her 1986 classic, True Colors, with longtime collaborator Tom Kelly, a song that became one of the most enduring tracks of her career.
She wrote on Instagram: “I’m so sorry to hear that my friend Billy Steinberg has passed away.
“He was such a nice guy and very supportive. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and Tom during this sad time.”
The trio’s partnership also produced I Drove All Night, which Lauper released in 1989 before the track was later recorded by Roy Orbison and covered by Celine Dion.
Speaking to Billboard, Lauper remembered Steinberg as “pure genius,” recalling the creative back-and-forth that shaped True Colors into the version she ultimately released.
Across his career, Steinberg helped craft some of the biggest pop hits of the ’80s and ’90s. With Kelly, he co-wrote Madonna’s Like a Virgin, The Bangles’ Eternal Flame, Whitney Houston’s So Emotional, The Divinyls’ I Touch Myself, and The Pretenders’ I’ll Stand by You — songs that continue to define entire eras of music.
Even after Kelly stepped back from songwriting in the ’90s, Steinberg remained a force in the industry. He teamed up with newer writers, including Josh Alexander and Ruth-Anne Cunningham, co-penning mid-2000s chart staples Too Little Too Late for JoJo and Over It for Katharine McPhee.
Steinberg and Kelly were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011, cementing their legacy as one of pop’s most influential writing duos.
He is survived by his wife, Trina, his sons Ezra and Max, and his stepchildren, Raul and Carolina.
