‘True Colours’ and ‘Like a Virgin’ co-writer Billy Steinberg dead at 75
Songwriter Billy Steinberg, best known for his role in co-writing ‘True Colours’ and ‘Like a Virgin’, has died aged 75.
Steinberg, who was partly responsible for the creation of a string of songs that defined the 1980s, died following a battle with cancer at his home in Brentwood, California, on February 16th, the Los Angeles Times confirmed.
Although he made his name as a professional songwriter, his first steps into the music industry were as a performer, before Steinberg created a partnership with Tom Kelly that would go on to create a litany of huge pop anthems.
Kelly and Steinberg began writing together in 1981. Their work caught the attention of the masses when ‘Like a Virgin’ was elected to be a new Madonna single, topping the charts for six weeks and becoming one of her biggest ever songs.
During this golden period, he and Kelly also co-wrote ‘Eternal Flame’ for The Bangles, ‘So Emotional’ for Whitney Houston, ‘Alone’ for Heart, and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘True Colors’.
Lauper has since led the tributes for Steinberg, telling Billboard, “I’m so sorry to hear of Billy Steinberg’s passing. He was a great lyricist and a wonderful collaborator. He and Tom had such a way of capturing the range within an emotion, from the subtlety to urgency.”
She also added of the creation of ‘True Colors’, “For ‘True Colors,’ there was a lot of back and forth which I know was hard for him. 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.”
Meanwhile, in a statement to The Independent, Steinberg’s son, Ezra, mourned, “As a father, he passed down not only his love of music, but his discipline, integrity, and reverence for great songwriting. He believed in building things that last — in art, in relationships, and in legacy.”
While Kelly retired from the music business in the 1990s, Steinberg continued to pen songs into the 2010s, including tracks for the likes of Demi Lovato and Nicole Scherzinger. Both Kelly and Steinberg were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.
Steinberg is survived by his wife, Trina, his sons, Ezra and Max, and his stepchildren, Raul and Carolina.
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