Cyndi Lauper Mourns the Death of Close Friend and Music “Genius” in Heartbreaking Tribute

On February 16, the music industry lost a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame when Billy Steinberg sadly passed away. Having battled cancer, the songwriter was surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones at the time of his death. But his love far extended his family, thanks to his career as a songwriter. Throughout his decades in music, he collaborated with stars like Whitney Houston and Madonna. He also brought Cyndi Lauper a No. 1 hit. Celebrating the “pure genius” of Steinberg, Lauper offered a heartfelt tribute to her late friend. 

When the news of Steinberg’s passing first hit headlines, Lauper took a moment to share a picture of them together on Instagram. She captioned the post, “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.”

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With the post gaining over 19,000 likes, fans added their love and condolences to Steinberg and his family. Even Nancy Wilson of Heart commented on the post, declaring, “he was a wonderful spirit.” 

For Lauper, Steinberg entered her life when he presented the lyrics to “True Colors.” Working on the song with Tom Kelly, it was released on Lauper’s second studio album, which was also called True Colors. When hitting the airwaves, the song became an instant hit, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. 

[RELATED: The Heartbreaking Story Behind Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”—and the Song She Actually Wrote About the Same Situation]

Cyndi Lauper Never Forgot What Billy Steinberg Told Her

Expanding on her initial tribute, Lauper discussed the passion and talent of Steinberg. She told Billboard, “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. When I think back across ‘True Colors,’ ‘Unconditional Love,’ ‘I Drove All Night,’ ‘My First Night Without You,’ and ‘Heading West,’ I’m wowed.” 

Even with the decades passing, Lauper was still in awe of Steinberg’s ability to craft the perfect lyrics. “I mean, come on, ‘I’m like a letter with no address.’ Pure genius. For ‘True Colors,’ there was a lot of back and forth which I know was hard for him.”

While never forgetting not just the songwriter but her friend, Lauper concluded, “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.”

As tributes continue to pour in, Steinberg’s impact on the music industry remains undeniable. And thankfully, the songs he helped shape will carry his voice forward for generations.

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for RRHOF)