Billy Steinberg, legendary songwriter and Palm Springs native, dies at 75
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - Longtime Palm Springs resident Billy Steinberg, writer of numerous hits in the 80s, including Madonna's "Like a Virgin," died at the age of 75
Attorney Laurie Soriano confirmed Steinberg died Monday morning in Los Angeles.
Some of Steinberg's hits he cowrote alongside collaborator Tom Kelly included Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors", The Bangles' "Eternal Flame" and Heart's "Alone."
Lauper posted a tribute to Steinberg on her Instagram page.
According to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Steinberg grew up in Palm Springs. His parents operated the David Freedman Company, the largest grape harvesting company in the Coachella Valley. He worked at the business while pursuing his career recording artist and songwriter. His band, Billy Thermal, was named after the town where the vineyard business was located.
In 2021, Steinberg donated an oil painted mural referred to as Vineyard Harvest by artist Laurence Neufeld to the City of Coachella. The mural was first commissioned for Steinberg for his family's headquarters in 1979.
Steinberg said of the mural, "I found its presence to be both inspirational and sentimental, reminding me of my two lives and two worlds, as a farmer in the Coachella Valley and as a songwriter in the city."
In 2008, Steinberg was honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars. It is located at 101 S Palm Canyon Drive.
