Jim Steinman, Songwriter And Composer For Meat Loaf, Celine Dion, Bonnie Tyler And More Gone At 73

Jim Steinman & Meatloaf Made Bat Out Of Hell Certified Hit In 1977 (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

Songwriter and composer JIM STEINMAN has passed away at 73. The award winning hit maker worked with artists like MEATLOAF, CELINE DION, BONNIE TYLER, AIR SUPPLY and more. He died MONDAY, APRIL 19th, but no cause of death was given. 

STEINMAN began his career in musical theater, writing and starring in a rock musical while in college called THE DREAM ENGINE, which garnered the attention of NEW YORK theatrical producer JOE PAPP. After graduating, STEINMAN worked at the PUBLIC THEATER in NEW YORK (which PAPP established) and juggled various creative projects. In 1973, YVONNE ELLIMAN recorded his song “Happy Ending,” which became his first commercially released tune, while that same year, the PUBLIC THEATER staged his musical, MORE THAN YOU DESERVE. It was then that his commercial career took off. 

According to STEINMAN's website, his #1 songs include - for BONNIE TYLER: "Holding Out For A Hero,” “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” (hitting #1 a remarkable four times - 1983, 1995, 2003 and 2017 - and was on both YOUTUBE and SPOTIFY's Most Played lists of the 2010s), for MEAT LOAF: “Paradise By The Dashboard Light,” “Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad,” “Dead Ringer For Love,” and “I'd Do Anything For Love But I Won't Do That" (which had the biggest rock single sales ever), for AIR SUPPLY: "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All,” for CELINE DION: “It's All Coming Back To Me Now,” (which was named the 1997 Song Of The Year by BMI for having had the most broadcasts worldwide), for BOYZONE: “No Matter What,” (record of the year in the UK for 1998 and #1 in 18 countries - the most successful single ever released from a musical in history). And STEINMAN received a GRAMMY award as producer for Best Album of the Year, CELINE DION's Falling Into You. He made one platinum album as a singer, BAD FOR GOOD.

MEAT LOAF and STEINMAN were reportedly close and began working on MEAT LOAF’s proper solo debut, BAT OUT OF HELL, in the early SEVENTIES, but the album wouldn’t be released until 1977. And it wasn’t until about one year later — after MEAT LOAF performed on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — that the album became a certified hit.

MEAT LOAF, who inducted STEINMAN into the SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME in 2012 said, "There is no other songwriter ever like him. I can never repay him. He has been such an influence, in fact, the biggest influence on my life, and I learned so much from him that there would be no way I could ever repay Mr. JIM STEINMAN.”

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