02/17/2026
Billy Steinberg, Legendary Songwriter Behind “Like A Virgin” and and ‘True Colors, Dies at 74. 💔
William Endfield Steinberg, the Grammy-winning lyricist whose emotionally resonant pop anthems helped define the sound of the 1980s and beyond, has died at 74. His attorney confirmed that Steinberg passed away in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer, just days before his 75th birthday.
Best known for co-writing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” and the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame,” Steinberg crafted some of the era’s most enduring hits. Alongside longtime collaborator Tom Kelly, he also penned two additional Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles: Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional” and Heart’s “Alone.” His gift for pairing soaring melodies with vulnerable, heartfelt lyrics made him one of pop’s most sought-after songwriters.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Steinberg’s catalog extended well beyond those chart-toppers. He wrote the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You,” the Bangles’ “In Your Room,” and the Divinyls’ “I Touch Myself,” with his songs also recorded by artists including Taylor Dayne, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar, Bette Midler, Cheap Trick, and Belinda Carlisle.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011, the Fresno, California native grew up in Palm Springs and attended Bard College before initially pursuing a performing career with his band Billy Thermal. Though the band found limited success, Steinberg’s songwriting career accelerated after Linda Ronstadt recorded his composition “How Do I Make You” for her 1980 album Mad Love, a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Steinberg and Kelly became one of the most successful songwriting teams of the 1980s and ’90s, frequently delivering defining songs for major artists. “Like a Virgin” spent six weeks at No. 1, the longest run of any Madonna single, and was later ranked by Billboard as the biggest hit of her career.
After Kelly stepped away from songwriting, Steinberg continued collaborating with writers including Rick Nowels. He co-wrote the title track to Céline Dion’s Falling Into You, which earned him a Grammy for Album of the Year at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. In the 2010s, his work continued to resonate with new generations, including Demi Lovato’s “Give Your Heart a Break,” a Top 20 hit in 2012.
Steinberg is remembered not only for his chart success, but for songs that carried emotional clarity and staying power across decades.
He is survived by his wife, Trina; his sons, Ezra and Max; his sisters, Barbara and Mary; and his stepchildren, Raul and Carolina.
William Endfield Steinberg ✍
February 26, 1950 – February 16, 2026