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Legendary songwriter Billy Steinberg died on Monday, Feb. 16, his attorney confirms to PEOPLE
Steinberg was the mastermind behind Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors"
Cyndi Lauper remembered Steinberg as a "such a nice guy and very supportive" in an Instagram tribute
Legendary songwriter Billy Steinberg has died at age 74.
Steinberg died in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood, his attorney Laurie Soriano tells PEOPLE.
"Billy was an American treasure, such a lovely pure soul who was able to give us the most poetic lyrics that moved millions of people all over the world," Soriano adds.
Steinberg died following his journey with cancer,TMZ reported.
Steinberg was the mastermind behind some of the greatest pop songs of the '80s and '90s, includingMadonna's hit "Like a Virgin" andCyndi Lauper's "True Colors."
Steinberg's career began in the late '70s when he formed his new wave band Billy Thermal. After recording an unreleased album, the band broke up. Steinberg then formed i-Ten with his longtime creative partner Tom Kelly.
The pair reached new heights when they wrote the melodramatic love song "Like a Virgin," which spent six weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart between 1984 and 1985. The two also co-wrote Lauper's "True Colors" and "Alone," as well asWhitney Houston's "So Emotional" and the Bangles' "Eternal Flame." All four songs reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.
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Throughout his storied career, Steinberg has written songs forJoJo,Demi Lovato,Celine Dion,Tina Turner,Rod Stewart, Pat Benatar,Bette Midler,Carrie Underwood, The Pretenders and The Divinyls, among other artists.
Steinberg won a Grammy in 1997 for his work on Dion'sFalling Into You,which was named album of the year. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.
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In an Instagrampost, Lauper remembered him as a friend and shared her condolences with Steinberg's family.
"I'm so sorry to hear that my friend Billy Steinberg has passed away," she wrote. "He was such a nice guy and very supportive. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and Tom during this sad time."
Steinberg is survived by his wife Trina and his sons Ezra and Max.
Read the original article onPeople