MUSIC LEGEND Jim Steinman, the songwriter behind hits like Bat Out of Hell, I’d Do Anything for Love and Total Eclipse of the Heart, has died aged 73.
News of Steinman’s sad passing was confirmed by the Connecticut State Medical Examiner in a statement issued to the entertainment trade publication Variety.
No cause of death has yet been disclosed.
A prolific songwriter and arguably the Godfather of Power Ballads, Steinman first man his name as the composer of all of the songs on Meat Loaf’s critically acclaimed debut album Bat Out of Hell including the smash hit signature track.
First released in 1977, the album went on to sell more than 50 million copies world with the pair going on to score more success on the albums Dead Ringer and Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, despite a string of spats and lawsuits.
The latter of the two albums also spawned another of Steinman’s signature songs, I’d Do Anything for Love.
Away from Meat Loaf, the New York-born songwriter scored another major success with the Bonnie Tyler hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, which went on to become the biggest selling single of 1983.
He reteamed with the Welsh singer on the 1984 hit Holding Out for a Hero, which he co-wrote and produced.
Later in the 1990s, he hit the charts again with Celine Dion and another of his songs, All Coming Back to Me Now, which peaked at no.2 in Ireland and no.3 in the UK singles charts.
Away from the pop charts Steinman wrote all of the lyrics for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Whistle Down the Wind, including the song No Matter What, which Boyzone would go on to score a major hit with.
Released in 1998, the song went on to become the Irish boyband’s fourth UK number one and remains the band’s only US chart hit, selling three million copies worldwide.
Boyzone front man Ronan Keating was among those to pay tribute to Steinman following news of his passing.
He tweeted: “Rest in peace the mighty Jimbo. @boyzoneofficial were lucky to get their hands on “No Matter what” and it sent us global. Thank you to you and @andrewlloydwebber #jimsteinman"
Rest in peace the mighty Jimbo. @boyzoneofficial were lucky to get their hands on “No Matter what” and it sent us global. Thank you to you and @andrewlloydwebber #jimsteinman https://t.co/zwlrNSGWyC
— Ronan Keating (@ronanofficial) April 21, 2021
Bonnie Tyler also issued a statement on social media.
“I am absolutely devastated to learn of the passing of my long term friend and musical mentor Jim Steinman,” she tweeted.
“Jim wrote and produced some of the most iconic rock songs of all time and I was massively privileged to have been given some of them by him. I made two albums with Jim, despite my record company initially thinking he wouldn’t want to work with me. Thankfully they were wrong…”
I am absolutely devastated to learn of the passing of my long term friend and musical mentor Jim Steinman. pic.twitter.com/TvR01AUXKr
— Bonnie Tyler (@BonnieTOfficial) April 20, 2021
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